Dictionary

motto en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈmɒ.to/ (Canada)
• /ˈmɑ.toʊ/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈmɒ.təʊ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian motto (“a word, a saying”), from Latin muttum (“a mutter, a grunt”), late 16th c. Doublet of mot.

Meanings

1. A personal slogan.
   • You have to be in it to win it — that's my motto.
2. A sentence, phrase, or word, forming part of an heraldic achievement.
   • ‘Gentlemen, I can tell you what the new queen will take as her motto. It is Bound to Obey and Serve.’ 2020, Hilary Mantel, The Mirror and the Light, Fourth Estate, page 10:
3. 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.
   • “[…] the awfully hearty sort of Christmas cards that people do send to other people that they don't know at all well. You know. The kind that have mottoes like Here's rattling good luck and roaring good cheer, / With lashings of food and great hogsheads of beer. […]” 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:
   • It was the motto of a bishop eminent for his piety and good works, ... Serve God, and be cheerful. 1715 June 4 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison, “The Free-holder: No. 45. Tuesday, May 25. [1715.]”, in The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq; […], volume IV, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], published 1721, →OCLC:
4. (obsolete) A paper packet containing a sweetmeat, cracker, etc., together with a scrap of paper bearing a motto.

Forms

Deriveds

mottoware · mottolike · mottoless

Synonyms

device

Translations (135)

io moto (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · mk гесло (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · ur شِعار (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · fa-ira شِعار (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · cs motto (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · th คำขวัญ (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · hi नीतिवाक्य (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · ms moto (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · eo devizo (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · lv devīze (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · fi motto (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · ja 座右の銘 (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · be дэві́з (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · pt lema (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · pt divisa (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · bn নীতিবাক্য (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · bg мо́то (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · da motto (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · az şüar (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · sv valspråk (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · ko 모토 (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · it motto (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · cmn 格言 (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · uz shior (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · ja モットー (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · is kjörorð (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · nl motto (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · ru деви́з (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · es mote (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · ca divisa (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · ja 標語 (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · ms slogan (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · hi ध्येयवाक्य (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · sh mȍto (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · nn motto (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · my ဆောင်ပုဒ် (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · de Wahlspruch (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · tr motto (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · tl bansag (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · ko 표어 (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · pl motto (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · hu mottó (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · ca lema (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · ja モットー (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · fi tunnuslause (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · nb motto (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · hy նշանաբան (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · hy բնաբան (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · ro deviză (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · sk motto (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · pl dewiza (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · sh мо̏то (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · cmn 座右銘 /座右铭 (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · tr şiar (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · pl motto (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · tl lema (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · af leuse (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · nl motto (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · pt lema (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · fi tunnuslause (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · uz deviz (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · sl moto (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · tk şygar (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · uk деві́з (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · ko 좌우명 (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · ta குறிக்கோளுரை (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · eo moto (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · ps شعار (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · sv devis (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · km បាវចនា (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · cmn 標語 /标语 (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · bg деви́з (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · pt mote (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · fi motto (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · tl kasabihan (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · th คติพจน์ (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · gd ceann-sgrìobhadh (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · id semboyan (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · ka დევიზი (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · fr devise (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · th คติพจน์ (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · tr motto (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · gd facal-suaicheantais (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · kk ұран (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · lt devizas (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · sq devizë (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · lo ຄຳຂວັນ (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · es lema (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · nl lijfspreuk (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · de Motto (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · fr devise (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · br sturienn (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · ms cogan kata (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · de Motto (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · el ρητό (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · ru деви́з (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · ko 표어 (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · hy նշանաբան (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · es divisa (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · uk деві́з (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · mk мото (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · uk га́сло (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · fy biedwurd (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · da motto (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · et tunnuslause (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · nl wapenspreuk (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · fi vaalilause (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · prs شِعَار (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · cmn 座右銘 /座右铭 (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · ga mana (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · tr slogan (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · vi tiêu ngữ (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · eu goiburu (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · oc devisa (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · hi सिद्धांत (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · ky девиз (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · th คติ (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · hu mottó (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · sh деви́за (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · ja 標語 (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · cy arwyddair (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · ca lema (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · he מוֹטוֹ (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · es lema (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · th คำขวัญ (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · pt mote (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · pl dewiza (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · sv motto (suggestive sentence, phrase or word) · ar شِعَار (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · tl moto (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · ky ураан (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · sv motto (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · tg шиор (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · sh deviza (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement) · cs motto (sentence, phrase or word forming part of a heraldic achievement)

motto en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈmɒ.to/ (Canada)
• /ˈmɑ.toʊ/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈmɒ.təʊ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian motto (“a word, a saying”), from Latin muttum (“a mutter, a grunt”), late 16th c. Doublet of mot.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To compose mottos.
   • The singularity of his epigraphic strategy notwithstanding, Emerson does not draw attention to his own mottoing. One exchange suggests that his practice was a convention imposed from without. 2003, Nineteenth Century Prose, volume 30, page 304:

Forms