guru
noun
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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.
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Examples of guru in a Sentence
David MacK, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
Despite not being a great head coach, Philbin has remained an offensive guru.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
My favorite of all was carved for his children by my friend Vivek Dave, known to listeners of my Q&A podcast as a sports guru.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 4 Nov. 2024
Advertisement Martha Stewart is an ‘unreliable narrator’ but also ‘a visionary,’ documentary director says: R.J. Cutler, the director of Netflix’s ‘Martha,’ discussed his film about the lifestyle guru and businesswoman and how he isn’t bothered by her criticism of it.
—Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Guru.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guru. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
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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"
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