motto

noun

A personal slogan.

A sentence, phrase, or word, prefixed to an essay, discourse, chapter, canto, or the like, suggestive of its subject matter; a short, suggestive expression of a guiding principle; a maxim.

(heraldry) A sentence, phrase, or word, forming part of an heraldic achievement.

(obsolete) A paper packet containing a sweetmeat, cracker, etc., together with a scrap of paper bearing a motto.

verb

(intransitive) To compose mottos.

Roots

muttummot- · Latin · utterance, word

Synonyms for motto

slogann catchwordn shibbolethn watchwordn adagen dictumn aphorismn phrasen bywordn proverbn apophthegmn apothegmn epigraphn maximn inscriptionn principlen epigramn

Synonyms & related words for motto

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Words related to motto

Explore words related to motto — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include tagline, catchphrase, credo, phraseogram, mantra, sloganeer, mantric, logo. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for motto

Common synonyms for motto include slogan, catchword, shibboleth, watchword, adage, dictum, aphorism, phrase — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does motto come from?

The word motto breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root mot-, from Latin muttum (“utterance, word”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.