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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.
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
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
guru Cultural  

  1. In Hinduism, a teacher or spiritual leader.

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

Explanation

A guru is a spiritual teacher and leader, particularly in the Hindu and Buddhist traditions. It has been said that your guru will find you when you are ready for your study — your journey — to begin. The noun guru is a Sanskrit word which also means “weighty,” or “grave.” A guru might teach you about meditation and compassion, or how to live your life according to certain precepts and truths. There is also another kind of guru — an expert leader in any field. You can be a guru of accounting or even of pizza-making if you are very good at it and can guide others to greater understanding.

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Vocabulary lists containing guru

World Religions

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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.

After 2002, Orbán befriended Árpád Habony, a martial arts instructor and businessman, as his personal guru.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

But Warren Buffett’s words on Tuesday might offset some of the relief as the investment guru seemed unimpressed by the opportunities on offer.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Data guru Steve Kornacki decided to stick with NBC News as he also has assignments at NBC Sports.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026

As the Times’ polling guru Nate Cohn put it, the survey revealed deep angst about being able to meet “the rising price of entry for a middle-class life.”

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

Maybe if Aimee hadn’t been such a fashion guru, her mom would never have gotten that job and they would never have had to leave Chicago.

From "Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story" by Nora Raleigh Baskin

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.