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A consigliere (pronounced [konsiʎˈʎɛːɾe]) is the Italian term for adviser or counsellor. [From Latin consiliarius, from consilium, advice.]

Some compound forms:

• Consigliere comunale — city councilman
• Consigliere personale — personal adviser

Consigliere entered the popular English lexicon through Mario Puzo's Godfather novels and the subsequent films made from them. In these portrayals, the consigliere is an adviser or counselor to a mafia boss, with the additional responsibility of representing the Don in important meetings within the Don's crime family or with other crime families. The consigliere is a close, trusted friend and confidant.

It is reputed that in Cosa Nostra, a consigliere is not simply an adviser; he may be the second highest ranking member of a family, second only to the Don. As in many royal courts in history, the most powerful position must be kept within the family and the royal bloodline, however, the second most powerful position is often the adviser to the king, a position given to the most qualified man for the job regardless of background.

The status of consigliere in Chicago is different from other regions. The Outfit consigliere is a senior member with more power than the boss in some ways, with privileges such as the first recommendation and final veto on policy and action.^{[citation needed]}

In the first printing of The Godfather the spelling was "consigliori," changed in later print runs to "consiglieri."

In the movies Godfather and The Godfather Part II, the consigliere to Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), and later Don Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), is Tom Hagen (played by Robert Duvall). Tom Hagen was the adopted son of Don Vito Corleone, and a lawyer for the family. At the end of The Godfather, he was fired as consigliere by Don Vito's successor and son, Michael Corleone, who says "things are going to get rough, and I need a wartime consiglieri." Sonny Corleone, Michael's older brother and Don after Vito Corleone's attempted assassination, yelled the same thing at Hagen. Upon being fired, Hagen was given a lesser role in the mafia organization.

In The West Wing episode "The Leadership Breakfast", Leo McGarry refers to himself as "a war time consigliere".

In the television series The Sopranos Silvio Dante is the consigliere to Tony Soprano. His role is very much like the reputed second in command, even taking over briefly as acting boss of the Soprano crime family in Season 6 Part I.