guru

American  

[goor-oo, goo-roo] / ˈgʊər u, gʊˈru /

noun

1. Hinduism. a preceptor giving personal religious instruction.

2. an intellectual or spiritual guide or leader.

3. any person who counsels or advises; mentor.

   The elder senator was her political guru.

4. a leader in a particular field.

   the city's cultural gurus.

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guru British  

/ ˈɡuːruː, ˈɡʊruː /

noun

1. a Hindu or Sikh religious teacher or leader, giving personal spiritual guidance to his disciples

2. derogatory a leader or chief theoretician of a movement, esp a spiritual or religious cult

3. facetious a leading authority in a particular field

   a cricketing guru

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guru Cultural  

1. In Hinduism, a teacher or spiritual leader.

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Discover More

By extension, a “guru” is a teacher who attracts disciples or followers.

Other Word Forms

• guruship noun

Etymology

Origin of guru

1820–30; < Hindi gurū < Sanskrit guru venerable, weighty

Example Sentences

Brand, once a left-leaning political campaigner who has rebranded himself as a conservative guru to millions of social media followers, arrived at Southwark crown court court carrying a copy of the Bible.

From Barron's

He says he often sees self-proclaimed "fitness gurus" on social media who are encouraging others to reduce their sleep to fit more in, but he believes that's not the answer.

From BBC

The rule is wildly popular with governance gurus and policy advocates.

From The Wall Street Journal

Newsom wrote that he watched tapes of motivational guru Tony Robbins and heeded his advice to remake yourself in the image of someone you admire.

From Los Angeles Times

Baba is a commonly used term in India to refer to mystics and religious gurus and also to fathers or grandfathers by both Hindus and Muslims.

From BBC

Related Words

• master
• teacher
• tutor