mantra

mantra — noun

1. a short phrase or statement that people repeat so often it comes to stand for on

1.nounB2
Definition

a short phrase or statement that people repeat so often it comes to stand for one of their core beliefs or goals.

Example

The company's new mantra is 'work smarter, not harder,' and everyone repeats it in meetings.

organizational mantra

Chidi repeats the words 'stay calm and keep going' whenever a test feels difficult.

Common collocations
  • personal mantra
  • team mantra
  • company mantra
  • daily mantra
  • mantra for success
Synonyms
  • slogan

    more tied to advertising, politics, or group branding; less personal than mantra

  • motto

    a concise principle that guides behaviour — more formal and less emotionally charged than mantra

  • catchphrase

    a memorable phrase associated with a person or character, often from entertainment rather than deep belief

Antonyms
  • silence

    the absence of any repeated message or guiding phrase

Grammar Patterns

possessive + mantra

[person/group]'s mantra

mantra + be + statement

Usage Note

Often appears in business, sports, or self-improvement contexts. Distinguish from sense 2 (SACRED CHANT), which refers specifically to religious or spiritual chanting.

Common Mistakes

His mantra is to brush his teeth every night.' (a daily habit, not a belief).
The team's mantra is to never give up, no matter the score.
a mantra expresses a core belief or guiding principle, not just any routine.

2. a sacred word, sound, or short phrase that people repeat silently during meditat

2.nounB2
Definition

a sacred word, sound, or short phrase that people repeat silently during meditation because they believe it holds spiritual power or helps them find peace.

Example

Every morning before work, Kenji sits cross-legged and repeats his favourite mantra.

collocation: repeat + mantra

Élise learned a mantra from her grandmother that she whispers whenever she feels worried.

Common collocations
  • chant a mantra
  • repeat a mantra
  • sacred mantra
  • ancient mantra
  • personal mantra
Synonyms
  • chant

    focuses more on the vocal repetition and rhythm than on spiritual meaning

  • prayer

    broader — a prayer can be any communication with a higher power, not necessarily a repeated word or sound

  • incantation

    suggests magical or ritual use, often with the goal of causing a specific effect

Grammar Patterns

chant/repeat/say + mantra

possessive + mantra

Common Mistakes

I have a morning mantra to drink more water.' (trivial daily habit).
I have a meditation mantra that I repeat to stay calm.
a mantra carries spiritual or emotional weight, not just any repeated routine.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Mantra, slogan, motto, and catchphrase all refer to short repeated expressions, but they differ in depth and context. A mantra carries personal or spiritual weight — it is something a person truly believes and repeats for self-guidance ('I can get through this'). A slogan is typically used by companies or political groups to promote a message ('Just do it') and feels more public than personal. A motto is a formal guiding principle for an institution, family, or individual ('Semper Fidelis') and often appears on crests or documents. A catchphrase is a light, memorable phrase tied to a celebrity or fictional character ('Make it so'). In practice: a runner's mantra is 'one more mile,' a brand's slogan is 'think different,' a school's motto is 'truth and honour,' and a TV host's catchphrase is 'here's Johnny!'

slogan ↗motto ↗catchphrase

Common collocations

Phrases

  • repeat a mantra
  • chant a mantra
  • personal mantra
  • daily mantra

Prepositions

  • mantra for
  • mantra of

Etymology

SanskritEnglish

Mantra comes from Sanskrit 'mantra-' (मन्त्र), meaning 'instrument of thought' — made from 'man-' ('to think') and '-tra-' (a suffix meaning 'tool' or 'instrument'). The word entered English in the late 1700s through writings about Hinduism. For most of the 1800s it was used only in religious contexts. The modern figurative meaning — a repeated phrase that expresses a belief — developed in the mid-1900s, first appearing in American self-help and business writing.