mantra

or man·tram

[ man-truh, mahn-, muhn- ]

noun

1. Hinduism. a word or formula, as from the Veda, chanted or sung as an incantation or prayer.
2. an often repeated word, formula, or phrase, often a truism:

   If I hear the “less is more” mantra one more time, I'll scream.

mantra

/ ˈmʌn-; ˈmæntrə /

noun

1. Hinduism any of those parts of the Vedic literature which consist of the metrical psalms of praise
2. Hinduism Buddhism any sacred word or syllable used as an object of concentration and embodying some aspect of spiritual power

Other Words From

• mantric adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mantra¹

Borrowed into English from Sanskrit around 1800–10

Word History and Origins

Origin of mantra¹

C19: from Sanskrit, literally: speech, instrument of thought, from man to think

Example Sentences

“It’s the economy, stupid,” Madrid later posted on X, in a throwback to former President Clinton’s campaign mantra.

From Los Angeles Times

But just how Anglophile is he really, some ponder, given his mantra of "America First"?

From BBC

Republicans and right-wing conservatives — echoing the “Stop the Steal” mantra from four years ago — have recently peddled misinformation and filed lawsuits questioning the election’s integrity.

From Los Angeles Times

Introduce the mantra "Think before you click" to instill the habit of assessing the credibility of content before engaging with it.

From Salon

Doing whatever it takes could be considered his own mantra going back to high school.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• hymn
• melody
• shout
• singing
• tune