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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

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.

There are numerous apps that will show you where you can find the cheapest gas near you — GasBuddy and Gas Guru are among the most popular.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026

“I’m going to take that down, and I prefer I take it down in the next five years,” Garrett told Casino Guru News last month.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

Launched in 2016, the project works with social venture partners TreePlanet and Guru E&T to plant forests around the world, conserving biodiversity and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere.

From National Geographic • Jan. 16, 2024

Other figures to have criticised the Newsnight changes include Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru Murthy and former BBC TV exec Roger Mosey.

From BBC • Nov. 30, 2023

Might have to start calling this guy Guru, by the way.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone

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.