Councilmen

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A member of a governing body tasked with making decisions for a community or organization
2. An official or representative engaging in discussions and policy-making within a council
3. An individual elected or appointed to provide leadership and legislative guidance for local or regional governance

Etymology: "Councilmen" is simply the plural of "councilman," so it carries the same history as its singular form. That history is plain: "councilman" is a compound of "council" and "man," with no hidden twist in its making. "Council" came into English from Old French, which took it from Latin "concilium," meaning an assembly or gathering, built from "con-" (together) and "calare" (to call). The "man" half is one of the oldest words in the language, traceable back to Old English "mann," which meant a human being of either sex before narrowing to a male adult. The plural follows the irregular pattern of "man" itself: "man" becomes "men," a vowel change inherited from Old English that survives in words like "foot" and "feet." So "councilmen" keeps that older plural marker even though the compound is a modern formation. Put together, the word describes someone who sits among the people gathered to call and decide matters, a meaning that has stayed close to its literal roots.

Synonyms: representatives, delegates

Antonyms: citizens