motto
Americannoun
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a maxim adopted as an expression of the guiding principle of a person, organization, city, etc.
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a sentence, phrase, or word expressing the spirit or purpose of a person, organization, city, etc., and often inscribed on a badge, banner, etc.
noun
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a short saying expressing the guiding maxim or ideal of a family, organization, etc, esp when part of a coat of arms
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a short explanatory phrase inscribed on or attached to something
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a verse or maxim contained in a paper cracker
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a quotation prefacing a book or chapter of a book
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a recurring musical phrase
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of motto
1580–90; < Italian < Late Latin muttum sound, utterance. See mot
Compare meaning
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Explanation
A motto is a slogan or favorite saying, like "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade." A motto is something you might see on a t-shirt or bumper sticker — a short sentence or phrase that has meaning for that person. Some mottoes have to do with politics, religion, or another belief. Sometimes People write their motto on a large banner or sign so others can see it. President John F. Kennedy's motto was “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Mottoes are similar to proverbs, slogans, and catchphrases.
Vocabulary lists containing motto
"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling
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Because of Winn-Dixie
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Divergent
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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.
See Examples For:
But plenty of people, including a lot of religious folks who did not appreciate their motto turned into a truck commercial, did not.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
"The Tennessee license plate used to have a sign on it, or a little motto that said, 'Follow me to Tennessee,'" Bessent said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
Their motto throughout this tournament has been 'Mekameleen', which means 'we'll keep going'.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
With the hotel motto being “stay by your own rules,” Rudolph says it was important for them to make the rooms adaptable to each guest’s needs and to prioritize comfort.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
“Learn as much as you can, while the opportunity is still there,” became my motto.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
The team writing the mottoes for next year’s batch of Sweethearts has already developed a new theme aimed at that demographic sweet spot.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 7, 2023
There he prints by letterpress, in two colors, greeting cards that combine old etchings and engravings with famous mottoes and sayings.
From New York Times ● Mar. 17, 2022
She said it when I applied to every college I had seen mentioned in books—the ones with demure colors, Latin mottoes, things called quads.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 2, 2019
After all, "there's no place for losers" is one of the show's mottoes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2018
One of Bill Gates’s early mottoes for Microsoft, which he cofounded, was that the company’s goal was to give every individual “LAYF” — information at your fingertips.
From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
"Never forget, never forgive - this is one of the mottos that reminds us who we are, what we have been through, and how resilient we Bosnians are," says Dokic.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
That’s where her mottos come in — short, memorable phrases that condensed technique into a moment you could carry from the screen to your own kitchen.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2025
One of Sheinbaum’s mottos: “Collaboration, coordination, without subordination. ... Sovereignty is not negotiable.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2025
“In adopting their mottos, symbols, and ethos on the field of friendly strife, we seek to emulate their application of these characteristics to defeat our rivals,” the school said.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 7, 2023
Certificates of excellence had been hung on the stairwell wall, alongside mottos that my father had found important enough to frame.
From "Confessions of a Murder Suspect" by James Patterson
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.
