mentorship
Americannoun
-
the position or services of a wise and trusted counselor or senior sponsor, often in a particular field.
Nearly a hundred graduate students received research training in his laboratory and benefited from his mentorship.
-
a relationship or arrangement with such a counselor or sponsor.
To develop my writing craft, I’m currently undertaking a mentorship with a well-known fantasy writer.
Etymology
Origin of mentorship
Explanation
When someone you trust and admire gives you support, guidance, and advice, that's mentorship. The mentorship of your writing teacher can help you find your authentic voice. A mentor provides mentorship, and both words derive from Mentor, a character in Homer's The Odyssey who Odysseus's friend and a trusted advisor to Telemachus. The person at work who shows you the ropes when you're new provides mentorship, and a basketball veteran who takes a rookie under their wing does too. Mentorship can mean a helpful guidance counselor, a sibling explaining what high school is like, or an expert plumber advising an apprentice.
Vocabulary lists containing mentorship
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ship
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-ship
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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.
The next day, Yasmine Diaz will be joined by several artists in a panel discussing the importance of intergenerational friendships, for the Generations in Dialogue: Friendship & Mentorship session.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2025
Mentorship can be wonderful, and as a concept, is powerful and important.
From New York Times • Apr. 22, 2022
Frances Grace Mortel, a filmmaker and photographer from the Philippines, is a past participant of the Media Mentorship Program.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 28, 2022
Mentorship is a beautiful thing, because long after you're gone, you have affected people around you who live and hopefully thrive.
From Salon • Dec. 29, 2021
Glaude was selected by Emmy winner Lena Waithe for the AT&T; Hello Labs Filmmaker Mentorship Program, for which she directed the short “Spilt Milk,” starring “Orange Is the New Black” actor Dascha Polanco.
From Washington Times • Feb. 16, 2021
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.
