Mentor

¹ American  

[men-ter] / ˈmɛn tər /

noun

1. a town in NE Ohio.

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Mentor ² American  

[men-tawr, -ter] / ˈmɛn tɔr, -tər /

noun

1. (in theOdyssey ) a loyal adviser of Odysseus entrusted with the care and education of Telemachus.

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mentor ³ American  

[men-tawr, -ter] / ˈmɛn tɔr, -tər /

noun

1. a wise and trusted counselor or teacher.

   Synonyms:

   preceptor, guide, master, adviser

2. an influential senior sponsor or supporter.

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verb (used without object)

1. to act as a mentor.

   She spent years mentoring to junior employees.

verb (used with object)

1. to act as a mentor to.

   The brash young executive did not wish to be mentored by anyone.

mentor ¹ British  

/ ˈmɛntɔː /

noun

1. a wise or trusted adviser or guide

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verb

1. to act as a mentor to (someone); train

Mentor ² British  

/ ˈmɛntɔː /

noun

1. the friend whom Odysseus put in charge of his household when he left for Troy. He was the adviser of the young Telemachus

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Usage

What does mentor mean? A mentor is the main person you rely on to give you advice and guidance, especially in your career.Mentor can also be used as a verb meaning to act as a mentor, as in I mentor two of my students. If you have a mentor, you are the mentee.Example: It feels strange to me that I’m now more famous than my mentor—I wouldn’t be where I am without her.

Other Word Forms

• mentorial adjective
• mentorship noun

Etymology

Origin of mentor

First recorded in 1740–50; after Mentor (from Greek Méntōr )

Example Sentences

"Free our president," read a placard held by a man with a red flannel shirt which bore the image of Maduro's predecessor and mentor, late socialist firebrand Hugo Chavez.

From Barron's

He came to power after the death of his charismatic mentor, Hugo Chavez.

From Barron's

He flew from Seoul to Princeton, N.J., to meet and convince an engineer to join Furiosa in its early days, said Jae W. Lee, director of Seoul National University’s AI Institute and a mentor to Paik.

From The Wall Street Journal

The defeat was one of five that Smart suffered at the hands of his mentor.

From The Wall Street Journal

But in 2024, the group had a dramatic fallout with their agency - sparked by the controversial dismissal of Ador's former CEO Min, whom the group regarded as a mentor.

From BBC

Related Words

• adviser
• coach
• guide
• instructor
• teacher
• trainer
• tutor