mantra

American  

[man-truh, mahn-, muhn-] / ˈmæn trə, ˈmɑn-, ˈmʌn- /

Or mantram

noun

• mantras
  plural

1. Hinduism. a word or formula, as from the Veda, chanted or sung as an incantation or prayer.

2. an often repeated word, formula, or phrase, often a truism.

   If I hear the “less is more” mantra one more time, I'll scream.

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mantra British  

/ ˈmʌn-, ˈmæntrə /

noun

1. Hinduism any of those parts of the Vedic literature which consist of the metrical psalms of praise

2. Hinduism Buddhism any sacred word or syllable used as an object of concentration and embodying some aspect of spiritual power

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• mantric
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• mantras
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mantra

Borrowed into English from Sanskrit around 1800–10

Explanation

A mantra is a motivating chant, like the “I think I can, I think I can” you repeat over and over to yourself on the last stretch of every marathon you run. A mantra is usually any repeated word or phrase, but it can also refer more specifically to a word repeated in meditation. Mantra comes from a Sanskrit word meaning a “sacred message or text, charm, spell, counsel.” The Indian spiritual leader Sri Sathya Baba said, “A pure thought from a pure heart is better than a mantra.” Meaning, a mantra is great and all, but really, pure intentions and genuine kindness mean more.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mantra mantras

“Eternity Around the Corner” considers the opening section of the 1957 masterpiece “Brilliant Corners” like a repeated mantra.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

That kind of mantra -- using drones to save lives -- was precisely what Fedorov had been pushing at the defence ministry.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

Indeed, my mantra through much of the decadeslong campaign had been—to borrow a phrase that at least one ardent activist actually tattooed on her arm—“There is no marriage without engagement.”

From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026

My mantra at the moment is “Confound the binary.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

But I decided that whatever happened on day two of the Grand Prix I would simply remember my mantra, “You can do this!”

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

I was staring at my 61-year-old reflection as I repeated these mantras suggested by my new therapist SuzAnn, embarrassed at the idiocy although I lived alone in a small West L.A. guesthouse.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

Ahead of the speeches, a choir sang as attendees photographed a large panel emblazoned with one of Jackson's mantras "keep hope alive."

From Barron's ● Mar. 6, 2026

“Proximity is power!” he wrote, quoting one of Robbins’s signature mantras, in a caption for the photo snapped at Mar-a-Lago.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026

This adjustability can be a good thing—imagine a marathoner repeating mantras to themself as they push through the final miles of a race—or a very bad thing.

From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2025

“He’s gathered all kinds of mantras, sacred words that will help you. But, be warned, he’s still awful...”

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi

Related Words

• hymn
• melody
• shout
• singing
• tune