mantra

noun man·tra \ ˈmän-trə also ˈman- or ˈmən- \

|Updated on: 18 Aug 2018

Examples: mantra in a Sentence

Definition of mantra

: a mystical formula of invocation (see invocation 2) or incantation (as in Hinduism); also : watchword 2

"diversity" has become our multicultural mantra
—Manning Marable

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mantric

play \-trik\ adjective

See mantra defined for English-language learners

Examples of mantra in a Sentence

a businessman whose mantra is “bigger is better”

Recent Examples of mantra from the Web

Led by winemaker Hugh Chappelle and viticulturist Ned Horton, Quivira follows the mantra that responsible farming is the best thing for both high-quality wines and the community.

— harriot manley, SFChronicle.com, "Favorite escapes for Northern California’s eco-minded congressman," 21 June 2018
Americans stand with you, even if our president doesn’t.’’ Senator Jeff Flake, Arizona’s junior senator who is not running for re-election, said McCain’s mantra of ‘‘country before party’’ sets him apart from other senators.

— melissa daniels, BostonGlobe.com, "Arizona Republicans won’t talk about John McCain’s Senate seat," 17 June 2018
For Graham to seize this chance at being in the rotation as a rookie, that has to be his mantra.

— rick bonnell, charlotteobserver, "Why Hornets rookie Devonte Graham welcomes, isn't rattled by NBA's complex strategies," 4 July 2018
Shibutani, a two-time U.S. national champion in ice dancing who won a bronze medal in the 2018 Winter Olympics, shared her mantra with the crowd: Be brave.

— yadira sanchez olson, Lake County News-Sun, "Condoleezza Rice and Olympic medalists look to 'shine a light' on women's empowerment," 27 June 2018
In keeping with Silicon Valley’s mantra of creative destruction, Ad Astra rewrites its curriculum anew each year – with the students deciding about half the subject matter themselves.

— mark harris, Ars Technica, "First space, then auto—now Elon Musk quietly tinkers with education," 25 June 2018
Prime Minister Theresa May dropped her mantra that no agreement is better than a bad one and in March called for an end to threats of walking out.

— emma ross-thomas, Bloomberg.com, "No-Deal Brexit Risk Is Back as Barnier Warns Talks May Fail," 2 May 2018
The world's most famous beach bum runs a multi-media empire, with his sand-in-the-toes mantra as its bedrock.

— susan langenhennig, NOLA.com, "Jimmy Buffett churns out a crowd pleaser at Jazz Fest, backed up by a ukulele virtuoso," 29 Apr. 2018
O’Rourke’s campaign mantra is that Texas is not a red state, but a nonvoting state.

— andrew rice, Daily Intelligencer, "Can a Democrat Ever Win in Texas?," 10 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mantra.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of mantra

Sanskrit, sacred counsel, formula, from manyate he thinks; akin to Latin mens mind — more at mind

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1795

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms

Zen, antinomian, avatar, gnosticism, illuminati, ineffable, karma, koan

MANTRA Defined for English Language Learners

mantra

noun

Definition of mantra for English Language Learners

: a sound, word, or phrase that is repeated by someone who is praying or meditating
: a word or phrase that is repeated often or that expresses someone's basic beliefs