mentor
noun
a wise and trusted counselor or teacher.
mentor
1 American
[men-tawr, -ter]
/ ˈmɛn tɔr, -tər /
Mentor
2
American
[men-ter]
/ ˈmɛn tər /
noun
Mentor
3
American
[men-tawr, -ter]
/ ˈmɛn tɔr, -tər /
noun
mentor
1
British
/ ˈmɛntɔː /
noun
verb
Mentor
2
British
/ ˈmɛntɔː /
noun
Usage
What does mentor mean? A mentor is the main person you rely on to give you advice and guidance, especially in your career. Mentor can also be used as a verb meaning to act as a mentor, as in I mentor two of my students. If you have a mentor, you are the mentee. Example: It feels strange to me that I’m now more famous than my mentor—I wouldn’t be where I am without her.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of mentor
First recorded in 1740–50; after Mentor (from Greek Méntōr )
Explanation
A mentor is a person who trains and guides someone, like the second-grade English teacher who saw the spark of creativity in your writing and encouraged you to become a professional author. The original Mentor was a character in Homer's epic poem The Odyssey; Mentor looked after Odysseus's family, particularly his son Telemachus, while Odysseus was off fighting in the Trojan War. Today the word is used to describe any person who acts as an advisor or teacher. As a noun, mentor describes the coach who taught you to play baseball. As a verb, mentor is what the coach does to help you improve your swing.
Vocabulary lists containing mentor
The Hunger Games
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Monster
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
You Name It: Eponyms
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
His closest collaborator, Jeremy Avigad, is a classic academic mentor who recruits his students to the cause.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
In these specialized consulting roles, they can help train and mentor current employees while also gaining more freedom to pursue opportunities outside their previous full time positions.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
Back in the dressing room as a mentor, he is speaking to the media at Headingley - the location of his famous "it's tough being me" press conference.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
In 2022, he also had a public falling out with fellow comedian and former mentor, Gallagher, who died that year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
She takes in a deep breath, releases it real slow, and puts her mentor voice back on.
From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson
In November 1832, eight survivors of the sunken American whaleship Mentor set out into the Pacific Ocean in a pair of rickety boats.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
The Mentor had set sail from New Bedford, Mass., the whaling capital of the United States, in July 1831, with a complement of 21 men led by Capt. Edward Barnard.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
Once it became clear that the survivors of the Mentor were American, the Ngarchelongese agreed to help them get home by building them a canoe to supplement their whaling boat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
Ahead of the new Super League season BBC Sport caught up with some of the biggest stars including Jodie Gibson, Geva Mentor and Nat Metcalf to find out their pet peeves in the sport.
From BBC ● Feb. 23, 2024
Mentor was standing near the window, looking at the board on which the test questions had been written.
From "Son" by Lois Lowry
In addition to his father, one of Dhani’s mentors was George’s friend and latter-day creative partner Jeff Lynne, who for all his musical genius has never seemed particularly comfortable onstage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
People who work with the investor credit his business acumen, low-key demeanor and daunting work ethic, qualities that have attracted partners, founders and mentors alike — including Iger.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
The Journal previously ran a Personal Board of Directors series asking prominent business leaders like Oscar Munoz and Carla Harris about mentors who remained influences throughout their careers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
He also noted that smaller institutions can provide students with direct access to faculty mentors and hands-on field research.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
The mentors would share their wisdom that comes with age and experience and we would share our knowledge about diversity to help make them better teachers.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
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.
