motto
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a short phrase that explains your goals or how you choose to live.
a maxim or short expression of a guiding principle or belief system.
Simple“The school's motto is 'Learning for Life', and it appears on every uniform.”
In context“The family lived by the motto that hard work eventually rewards the patient, a philosophy that guided their business decisions for generations.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
a word or phrase shown on a family shield or coat of arms.
a word or phrase forming part of an heraldic achievement, typically positioned on a scroll below the shield.
Simple“The knight's motto was carved in Latin at the bottom of the stone shield.”
In context“In traditional heraldry, the motto often alludes to a specific historical event or a virtuous trait associated with the family lineage.”
UsageOften appears in Latin in historical contexts.
Synonyms
“He gave 'All for Norway'," Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf said, referring to Harald's royal motto.”
Borrowed from Italian motto (“a word, a saying”), from Latin muttum (“a mutter, a grunt”), late 16th c. Doublet of mot.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.