privy council: Meaning and Definition of

priv'y coun'cil

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. a board or select body of personal advisers, as of a sovereign.
  2. (caps.) (in Great Britain) a body of persons who advise the sovereign in matters of state, the majority of members being selected by the prime minister.
  3. (sometimes caps.) any similar body, as one appointed to assist the governor of a British dominion.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.