guru
noun
Did you know?
In Hinduism, a guru is a personal spiritual teacher. In ancient India, knowledge of the Vedas (a body of liturgical literature) was transmitted orally from guru to pupil. The rise of the bhakti movement, which emphasizes the love of devotees for a personal god, further increased the importance of gurus, who were often looked on as living embodiments of spiritual truth and were identified with the deity. Gurus prescribe spiritual disciplines to their devotees, who follow their dictates in a tradition of service and obedience. Men or women may be gurus, though generally only men have established lineages.
Examples of guru in a Sentence
Betiana Fernández Martino and Hira Humayan, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2025
Being mentored by Carr and having an offensive guru in Kellen Moore as a head coach could help elevate Sanders' game.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025
As management guru Peter Drucker is often credited as saying, culture eats strategy for breakfast.
—Ryan Wong, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Our beauty guru this week (and most weeks, TBH) is Hailey Bieber.
—Catharine Malzahn, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for guru
Cite this Entry
“Guru.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guru. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
from gurū, a word in Hindi (the major language in India) meaning "Hindu teacher or spiritual guide," derived from Sanskrit guru (adjective) "worthy of respect"
Share