Mentor Definition and Meaning

mentor noun
mentor

Definition of mentor

(Entry 1 of 3)
1 capitalized : a friend of Odysseus entrusted with the education of Odysseus’ son Telemachus

2a : a trusted counselor or guide
//a mentor who, because he is detached and disinterested, can hold up a mirror to us- P. W. Keve

b : tutor, coach
//The student sought a mentor in chemistry.


mentor verb:
mentored; mentoring; mentors

Definition of mentor (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb
: to serve as a mentor for : tutor

Mentor geographical name
Mentor

Definition of Mentor (Entry 3 of 3)
city in northeastern Ohio northeast of Cleveland population 47,159


Other Words from mentor

Noun
mentorship noun



Synonyms for mentor

Synonyms: Verb

coach, counsel, guide, lead, pilot, shepherd, show, tutor


Examples of mentor in a Sentence

Noun
//After college, her professor became her close friend and mentor.
//He needed a mentor to teach him about the world of politics.



Recent Examples on the Web: Noun:

//In Heidi and Tim’s absence, Project Runway (now back on Bravo) will continue with renowned model Karlie Kloss as host and former contestant/fashion designer Christian Siriano as mentor. – Heather Finn, Good Housekeeping, ‘Here’s the Real Reason Why Heidi Klum Left ‘Project Runway’,’ 14 Mar. 2019

//Amanda Kline and Captain Mark William Galloway Dyer Prince Charles’s former equerry, Captain Mark William Galloway Dyer, served as a mentor for Prince Harry, particularly in the years following Princess Diana’s death. – Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, ‘Who Will Serve as Godparents to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Baby?,’ 21 Jan. 2019


First Known Use of mentor

Noun

1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1918, in the meaning defined above


History and Etymology for mentor

Noun

as name borrowed from Latin Mentor, borrowed from Greek Mentor; as generic noun borrowed from French mentor, after Mentor, character in the novel Les aventures de Telemaque (1699) by the French cleric and writer Francois Fenelon (1651-1715), based on characters in the Odyssey

Note: In Fenelon’s work Mentor is a principal character, and his speeches and advice to Telemachus during their travels constitute much of the book’s substance.

Verb
derivative of mentor

Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mentor

mentor
[ men-tawr, -ter ]


noun
1) a wise and trusted counselor or teacher.
2) an influential senior sponsor or supporter.

verb (used without object)
3) to act as a mentor:
She spent years mentoring to junior employees.

verb (used with object)
4) to act as a mentor to:
The brash young executive did not wish to be mentored by anyone.


Origin of mentor
1740-50; after Mentor (< Greek Mentor )


SYNONYMS FOR mentor
1. adviser, master, guide, preceptor.


RELATED FORMS
men-tor-ship , noun


Mentor
[ men-ter ]
noun
1) a town in NE Ohio.

Mentor
[ men-tawr, -ter ]
noun
1) (in the Odyssey ) a loyal adviser of Odysseus entrusted with the care and education of Telemachus.


Examples from the Web for mentor

By reaching out to a local high school or non-profit to become a mentor for a high achieving, low-income student.
Forget the Kids Who Can't Get In; What About Those Who Don't Even Apply?|Jonah Edelman|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST

He made no bones about his great admiration for FDR, who was his mentor , and he had roots too in the Truman administration.
This Republican Loved Taxes & Modern Art|Scott Porch|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

A group of them mentor the turbulent, desperate kids fresh off the streets who are at their most violent when they first arrive.
Here's a Reform Even the Koch Brothers and George Soros Can Agree On|Tina Brown|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The film holds a special resonance for Jones, since Terry also served as his mentor .
Quincy Jones Talks Chicago's Mean Streets, Why Kanye West Is No Michael Jackson, and Bieber|Marlow Stern|September 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST


British Dictionary definitions for mentor
mentor

noun
a wise or trusted adviser or guide

verb
to act as a mentor to (someone); train

Derived Forms
mentorial , adjective

Word Origin for mentor
C18: from Mentor


Mentor
noun
1) the friend whom Odysseus put in charge of his household when he left for Troy. He was the adviser of the young Telemachus
Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition


Word Origin and History for mentor
mentor
n.

'wise advisor,' 1750, from Greek Mentor , friend of Odysseus and adviser of Telemachus (but often actually Athene in disguise) in the 'Odyssey,' perhaps ultimately meaning 'adviser,' because the name appears to be an agent noun of mentos 'intent, purpose, spirit, passion' from PIE *mon-eyo- (cf. Sanskrit man-tar- 'one who thinks,' Latin mon-i-tor 'one who admonishes'), causative form of root *men- 'to think' (see mind (n.)). The general use of the word probably is via later popular romances, in which Mentor played a larger part than he does in Homer.

Source: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/mentor

Mentor
noun [ C ]
?
a person who gives a younger or less experienced person help and advice over a period of time, especially at work or school

Compare:
protege

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words:

Teachers


Mentor
verb [ T ]
uk
?
to help and give advice to a younger or less experienced person, especially in a job or at school

Related word:
mentoring

Source: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/mentor

mentor

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.

Definitions of mentor
1
noun: a wise and trusted guide and advisor

Synonyms:
wise man

Types:
sage
a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics who is renowned for profound wisdom

Hakham
a Hebrew title of respect for a wise and highly educated man

mahatma
(Hinduism) term of respect for a brahmin sage

Type of:
intellect, intellectual
a person who uses the mind creatively

verb: serve as a teacher or trusted counselor
‘The famous professor mentored him during his years in graduate school’

‘She is a fine lecturer but she doesn’t like mentoring’

Type of:
instruct, learn, teach
impart skills or knowledge to

Source: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/mentor

Definition of ‘mentor’

mentor

Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense: mentors , present participle: mentoring , past tense, past participle: mentored


1. countable noun [usually poss NOUN]

A person’s mentor is someone who gives them help and advice over a period of time, especially help and advice related to their job.

Synonyms: guide, teacher, coach, adviser More Synonyms of mentor


2. verb

To mentor someone means to give them help and advice over a period of time, especially help and advice related to their job.

He had mentored scores of younger doctors. [VERB noun]

mentoring: uncountable noun
…the company’s mentoring programme.


mentor in British

noun
1. a wise or trusted adviser or guide

verb
2. to act as a mentor to (someone); train

Derived forms:

mentorial (men?torial) adjective

Word origin of ‘mentor’:
C18: from Mentor


Mentor in British

noun:
the friend whom Odysseus put in charge of his household when he left for Troy. He was the adviser of the young Telemachus


mentor in American

noun

1. [M-]; Greek Mythology
the loyal friend and advisor of Odysseus, and teacher of his son, Telemachus

2. a wise, loyal advisor

3. a teacher or coach
verb transitive, verb intransitive

4. to act as mentor (to); advise


Derived forms
mentorship (?mentorship) noun

Word origin of ‘mentor’
L < Gr Mentor, lit., adviser, akin to Sans mantar-: see mandarin

Source: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/mentor

Definition of mentor in English:

Mentor

NOUN

1 An experienced and trusted adviser.
‘he was her friend and mentor until his death’

1.1 An experienced person in a company or educational institution who trains and counsels new employees or students.
‘regular meetings between mentor and trainee help guide young engineers through their early years’
as modifier ‘a mentor program’

VERB
[with object]

Advise or train (someone, especially a younger colleague)
‘both trainees were expertly mentored by a site supervisor’
‘mentoring should be encouraged’

Origin:

Mid 18th century: via French and Latin from Greek Ment?r, the name of the adviser of the young Telemachus in Homer’s Odyssey.


Source: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/mentor