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

To be honest, I wouldn’t bet on a market like this with counterfeit money, as the late, great poker guru Herbert Yardley used to joke.

From MarketWatch

Looking at long-term charts of silver can be very sobering, and wild-eyed internet gurus, heavy on dark conspiracism with proclamations of $10,000 silver, are hardly reassuring.

From MarketWatch

In his bestseller “Unreasonable Hospitality,” restaurateur and hospitality guru Will Guidara takes that even further; the subtitle is “The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect.”

From The Wall Street Journal

That’s the last time he was nominated for an Oscar for his darkly funny and emotional supporting turn as seduction guru Frank T.J.

From Los Angeles Times

American lifestyle guru Martha Stewart has become a minority owner of Championship club Swansea.

From Barron's

Related Words

• master
• teacher
• tutor