This is the 4501st most frequent Dutch word.
council
A council is a group of people chosen or appointed to make decisions or give advice.
Here, 'raad' indicates an organized group of students representing their peers and discussing issues pertinent to their school.
De student nam deel aan de leerlingenraad.
The student participated in the student council.
In this instance, 'raad' is used to mean seeking advice or guidance, highlighting a different but related usage of the word in terms of seeking support.
Hij zocht raad bij de ouderen in het dorp.
He sought council from the elders in the village.
In this sentence, 'raad' (council) refers to a governing body at the municipal level responsible for local decision-making.