mentor

1 of 2

noun

men·​tor ˈmen-ˌtȯr 

-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 us

—P. 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

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.

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

Still, the movie bounced back on Thursday, earning a lead-actor Oscar nomination for Stan’s Trump and a supporting-actor one for Jeremy Strong as his mentor, the lawyer and fixer Roy Cohn. —Kyle Buchanan, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025

And Kevin Lyman is not only a mentor and advisor, but an investor in our company. —Steve Baltin, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025

Verb

She’s been in the underclassman mentoring program for several years. —Bobby Narang, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2025

Kelley said her grandmother was mentored by Madame Sul-Te-Wan, whose real name was Nellie Crawford, said to be the first Black woman under a movie studio contract in the silent film era, according to the Golden Globes. —Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 18 Jan. 2025

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

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Kids Definition

mentor

1 of 2 noun

men·​tor ˈmen-ˌtȯ(ə)r 

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 

city in northeastern Ohio northeast of Cleveland population 47,159