consul

plural consuls

1. historicalEither of the two heads of government and state of the Roman Republic or the equivalent nominal post under the Roman and Byzantine Empires.
2. historicalAny of the three heads of government and state of France between 1799 and 1804.
3. obsoleteA count or earl.

   Synonyms: count

4. A councillor
   1. historicalobsoleteA member of early modern city councils in southern France and Catalonia.
   2. historicalobsoleteAn officer of the trading and merchant companies of early modern England.
   3. historicalobsoleteAn official in various early modern port and trading towns, elected by resident foreign merchants to settle disputes among themselves and to represent them to the local authorities.
5. broadlyAn official residing in major foreign towns to represent and protect the interests of the merchants and citizens of their country.
6. obsoleteA high government official, generally either a coruler himself or a counsellor directly under the ruler.

   And many of the Conſuls, rais'd and met, Are at the Dukes already.

   c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 312, column 1

   2 more examples

   Both we will raigne as Conſuls of the earth, And mightie kings ſhall be our Senators.

   c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii

   With kinges and conſules of the earth, which build themſelves ſolitarie places:

   1609, The Holie Bible, […] (Douay–Rheims Bible), Doway: Laurence Kellam, […], →OCLC, Iob 3:14, page 1065

   Synonyms: counsellor