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

When Klum and Gunn left Project Runway to lead Making the Cut on Amazon Prime Video, Karlie Kloss took over hosting duties for the next two seasons, with Christian Siriano serving as mentor. —Jordan Greene, People.com, 15 Feb. 2025

Norvell’s staff makeover starts with an old mentor in Malzahn, who left a head coaching job at UCF to take over an offense that cratered last season (132nd out of 134 FBS teams in yards per play). —Ralph D. Russo, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025

Verb

She was mentored for a decade by José Clemente Orozco, who taught her the importance of authenticity in art. —Grace Edquist, Vogue, 13 Feb. 2025

That is also true of unconscious-bias training required for all staff, as well as educational events, Black History Month celebrations and mentoring workshops that are open to all. —Emma Goldberg, New York Times, 10 Feb. 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