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 mentorsVerb
The young intern was mentored by the country's top heart surgeon.
Our program focuses on mentoring teenagers.
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Noun
Her advice to ambitious women is to examine whether they’re already equipped for a more advanced role in their careers — and to seek out mentors who will support their growth.—Harriet Taylor, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025 Goh brought up how superstar LeBron James and longtime mentor Chris Paul are still playing in their 40s, and asked if Gilgeous-Alexander could do the same.—Gabe Smallson, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
Not many players of Lillard’s stature would have gone to such lengths to mentor a young teammate, especially one who played the same position.—Jay King, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 Jack has mentored, challenged, and inspired many of our leaders.—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mentor
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.
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