mentor

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noun men·tor \ˈmen-ˌtȯr, -tər\

Definition of mentor

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

mentorship

play \-ˌship\ noun

See mentor defined for English-language learners

See mentor defined for kids

mentor was our Word of the Day on 01/19/2013. Hear the podcast!

Examples of mentor in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of mentor from the Web

Being a mentor for girls and women in sports is an issue Mendoza is passionate about.

— britni de la cretaz, Teen Vogue, "How Jessica Mendoza Became ESPN's First Female MLB Analyst," 10 July 2017
But McConnell traveled with the summer team here to serve as an unofficial mentor.

— keith pompey, Philly.com, "T.J. McConnell mentoring Sixers' summer league players," 5 July 2017
Cohn, with his bravado, reckless opportunism, legal pyrotechnics, and serial fabrication, became a fitting mentor for the young real-estate scion.

— marie brenner, The Hive, "How Donald Trump and Roy Cohn’s Ruthless Symbiosis Changed America," 4 July 2017
In Kidz Express, housed in the former George Leland Elementary School at 5521 W Congress Pkwy, 34 neighborhood boys and girls between the ages of 14 to 25 work as mentors.

— deborah kadin, chicagotribune.com, "LemonAid fundraising event to benefit south Austin-based Kidz Express," 30 June 2017
Director Josef von Sternberg, who discovered her in a Berlin cabaret and brought her to Hollywood, acted as the actress’ mentor.

— amy henderson, Smithsonian, "The Pioneering Androgyny of Classic Hollywood Star Marlene Dietrich," 30 June 2017
His career in crisis, and his wife Jelena expecting their second baby later this summer, Djokovic hired Andre Agassi to be a coach and mentor.

— michelle kaufman, miamiherald, "Federer could become oldest Wimbledon champ since 1930," 30 June 2017
Cohn, with his bravado, reckless opportunism, legal pyrotechnics, and serial fabrication, became a fitting mentor for the young real-estate scion.

— vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, "How Donald Trump and Roy Cohn’s Ruthless Symbiosis Changed America," 28 June 2017
Lisa Harrington, Metea Valley, senior, catcher: Unanimous all-conference selection helped mentor two young pitchers while hitting .380 with a .461 on-base percentage.

— rich mayor, Naperville Sun, "Announcing the Naperville Sun 2017 Softball All-Area Team," 24 June 2017

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

Did You Know?

We acquired "mentor" from the literature of ancient Greece. In Homer's epic The Odyssey, Odysseus was away from home fighting and journeying for 20 years. During that time, Telemachus, the son he left as a babe in arms, grew up under the supervision of Mentor, an old and trusted friend. When the goddess Athena decided it was time to complete the education of young Telemachus, she visited him disguised as Mentor and they set out together to learn about his father. Today, we use the word mentor for anyone who is a positive, guiding influence in another (usually younger) person's life.