mantra
Americannoun
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Hinduism. a word or formula, as from the Veda, chanted or sung as an incantation or prayer.
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an often repeated word, formula, or phrase, often a truism.
If I hear the “less is more” mantra one more time, I'll scream.
noun
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Hinduism any of those parts of the Vedic literature which consist of the metrical psalms of praise
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Hinduism Buddhism any sacred word or syllable used as an object of concentration and embodying some aspect of spiritual power
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing mantra
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"Rogue Wave," Vocabulary from the short story
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On Your Mark, Get Set, Commence Your Life!
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Cawley and her colleagues from the ensemble Mantra Percussion were at the viaduct, which runs along Queens Boulevard and under the 7 train, to test the sound of its vaulted ceiling.
From New York Times • Apr. 11, 2024
We were taught about the framework and application of the Georgetown Mantra of Bioethics when making shared treatment plans with our patients:
From Salon • May 31, 2023
"Mantra," for example, is one word deemed "non-inclusive" but it appears on a technology help guide on the department's website.
From Fox News • Jan. 26, 2022
Azimitabar, who was held at the Mantra and Park hotels, is seeking damages.
From Washington Post • Jan. 6, 2022
But even if we assign the lowest possible date to this and similar hymns certain it is that they existed during the Mantra period, and before the composition of the Brâhmanas.
From Ten Great Religions An Essay in Comparative Theology by Clarke, James Freeman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
