(in Australia and New Zealand) a body consisting of ministers of the Crown presided over by the Governor or Governor-General that formally approves Cabinet decisions, etc
executive council in American English
noun
1.
a council having the highest executive authority
2.
a council appointed to give advice to the head of a government
Word origin
[1770–80, Amer.]This word is first recorded in the period 1770–80. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: advisory, colonial, crescendo, embed, lotto