Mantra Definition

măntrə, mŭn-

mantras

noun

A hymn or portion of text, esp. from the Veda, chanted or intoned as an incantation or prayer.

Webster's New World

A word or slogan often repeated, as to provide inspiration.

The store manager's mantra was “always maximize sales”

Webster's New World

A concept or fact that is mentioned repeatedly, especially in advocacy.

American Heritage

A syllable, word, etc. repeated during yogic meditation.

Webster's New World

A sacred verbal formula repeated in prayer, meditation, or incantation, such as an invocation of a god, a magic spell, or a syllable or portion of scripture containing mystical potentialities.

American Heritage

Other Word Forms of Mantra

Noun

Singular:

mantra

Plural:

mantras

Origin of Mantra

From Sanskrit मन्त्र (mantra). In the sense of "hymn portion of the Vedas" in English since 1808; in the sense of "word or phrase used in meditation" since 1956.

From Wiktionary
Sanskrit mantraḥ men-¹ in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Sanskrit mantraḥ men-¹ in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition