great council: Meaning and Definition of

great' coun'cil

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. (in Norman England) an assembly composed of the king's tenants in chief that served as the principal council of the realm and replaced the witenagemot.
  2. (formerly in Italy) the municipal council in some towns or cities, as in Venice.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.