English Reference

Word

mantra

US/ˈmæntɹə/

UK/mˈɑːntɹɐ/

Definition

n. a phrase or statement that a person or group repeats many times because they believe in it.

n. a frequently repeated slogan, statement, or guiding principle that encapsulates a particular belief or goal.

Examples

“Her daily mantra is 'stay positive and keep working'.”

“The company adopted the mantra of 'customer first' to guide every decision made by the management team.”

“While the political mantra of fiscal responsibility resonated with voters, the actual implementation of the policy proved far more complex than the slogan suggested.”

Examples

simple

“Her daily mantra is 'stay positive and keep working'.”

contextual

“The company adopted the mantra of 'customer first' to guide every decision made by the management team.”

complex

“While the political mantra of fiscal responsibility resonated with voters, the actual implementation of the policy proved far more complex than the slogan suggested.”

Real-World Examples

“Nuno’s mantra after the match was “I think we can do better”, but he was clearly grateful for the win.”
The Guardian · 1 Sept 2026
“To keep himself calm in the darkness of the tunnel, Shah said he spent his time chanting mantras.”
The Guardian · 4 Sept 2026

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit मन्त्र (mantra), from Proto-Indo-Iranian mántras, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European men- (“to think”). Related to mind.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Synonyms

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/mantra

English Reference