mentor

1 of 2

noun

men·​tor ˈmen-ˌtȯr How to pronounce mentor (audio)
-tər
1
capitalized : a friend of Odysseus entrusted with the education of Odysseus' son Telemachus
2
a
: a trusted counselor or guide
a mentor who, because he is detached and disinterested, can hold up a mirror to usP. W. Keve
b
: tutor, coach
The student sought a mentor in chemistry.

mentor

2 of 2

verb

mentored; mentoring; mentors

transitive verb

: to serve as a mentor for : 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. We volunteer as mentors to disadvantaged children. young boys in need of mentors Verb The young intern was mentored by the country's top heart surgeon. Our program focuses on mentoring teenagers.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Jacoby Brissett is an ideal mentor for last season’s Heisman Trophy winner. Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2024 Fashion designer and creative director Nicola Formichetti, who has worked with Lady Gaga for over a decade, has been recruited by Saudi Arabia’s Film AlUla as mentor for its AlUla Creates initiative that is at the intersection of film and fashion. Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024 Elevate Phoenix, Phoenix, $7,500 To help 300 low-income, at-risk youth complete high school, pursue a post-secondary option, earn their first college credits, learn workforce preparedness skills, get connected with mentors and receive support in obtaining a well-paying job. Alexis Waiss, The Arizona Republic, 17 Mar. 2024 In musical mentors, Kira coordinates, facilitates, and teaches free music lessons for Capistrano Unified 4th through 12th grade musicians. Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2024 Maureen Dowd is a wonderful mentor to younger women. Sonia Rao, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 Your character is even a mentor to Melissa Benoist’s character. Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 13 Mar. 2024 For Sarah Jacobus, a mentor for young writers, protesting the Israel-Hamas war is more about getting food, water and other necessities to her mentees, some of whom are in Rafah in southern Gaza. Ashley Ahn, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024 Plot details are being kept under the doji, but it is known that the new installment will bring the story to the East Coast and focus on a teen from China (Wang) who, as per Karate Kid lore, finds strength and direction via martial arts and a tough but wise mentor (or two). Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024
Verb
In an era of tech scrutiny, the ethic of Y Combinator—which sees mentoring founders as akin to a social good to wider society—is being questioned. Steven Levy, WIRED, 15 Mar. 2024 More:This opera explores the legacy of a revolutionary musician who left a big imprint on Indy Helping to mentor these young artists will be Michelle Cann, the first Christel DeHaan ArtisticPartner — a position named for the donor who gave the legacy grant. The Indianapolis Star, 14 Mar. 2024 The program involves mentoring and assisting families in practicing traditional culture, which Jackson and others believe offer healthy alternatives to unhealthy behavior developed from a loss of culture. Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2024 The father and former athlete also made sure to dedicate time to mentoring kids on Jacksonville’s Eastside. Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 The expectation placed upon women is reinforced (especially for Black and Hispanic girls and women) within and outside of the home, from sustaining friendships and supporting their siblings to mentoring coworkers and raising their own children. Barbara Rhoden, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 Finally, Iris Apfel's philanthropic endeavors and commitment to mentoring the next generation emphasized the importance of giving back and imparting knowledge. Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 Plans: Now retired, Fuentes-Michel continues to mentor others. Cathie Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024 During her tenure, Zhang launched the Vogue Film Initiative, which supports Chinese women in film by identifying and mentoring high-potential Chinese female filmmakers, producers, writers and actors and guiding them from development to production through the launch of their first narrative shorts. Angelique Jackson, Variety, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mentor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

Note: In Fénelon'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 entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1918, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mentor was in 1616

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near mentor

Cite this Entry

“Mentor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mentor. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mentor

1 of 2 noun
men·​tor ˈmen-ˌtȯ(ə)r How to pronounce mentor (audio)
ˈment-ər
: a wise and faithful adviser or teacher

mentor

2 of 2 verb
: to serve as a mentor for : tutor
a volunteer who mentors students

Geographical Definition

Mentor

geographical name

Men·​tor ˈmen-tər How to pronounce Mentor (audio)
city in northeastern Ohio northeast of Cleveland population 47,159

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