His motto is "Plain living and high thinking."
Source: tatoeba (286340)
Motto
/ˈmɑ.toʊ/
Synonyms for "motto" (219 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (44)
Noun(7 words)
Verb(1 words)
accelerate progress
Strong matches (66)
Noun(5 words)
chapletchargechevronchiefcoat of armscockatricecollected sayingscoronetcrescentcrestcrosscross molinecrowncrycurrent sayingdevicedictatedictumdifferencedifferencing
Show 41 more words
distichdrop headdroplineeagleepigramepigraphepithetermineermineserminiteserminoisescutcheonexpressionfalconfessfess pointfieldfileflanchfleur-de-lisfretfurfusilgarlandgnomegolden sayinggriffinguidegulesgyronhangerhatchmentheadheadingheadlinehelmetheraldic devicehonor pointimpalementimpalinginescutcheon
Related words (109)
inscriptionjump headlabellegendlionlozengemantlingmarshalingmartletmasclemaximmetalmoralmotmulletnombril pointoctofoilororacleordinary
Show 70 more words
orleoverlinepalepalypeanpheonphrasepithy sayingpreceptprescriptprincipleproverbproverbial sayingproverbspurpurequarterquarteringrallying cryroserubricrulerunning headrunning titlesablesaltiresawsayingscareheadscreamerscutcheonsentencesententious expressionshibbolethshieldsloganslokaspreadspread eaglespreadheadstock sayingstreamersubheadsubheadingsubordinarysubtitlesuperscriptionsutratag lineteachingtennetexttincturetitletitle pagetorsetressureunicornvairversevertwar crywatchwordwisdomwisdom literaturewise sayingwitticismwordwords of wisdomwreathyale
Noun(16 words)
inscriptionkindness mattersmantramantrasmaximmost italian forzaposiesposyrefrainshibbolethslogansstay focusedstay the coursetaglinewatchwordwatchwords
Adjective(2 words)
revolutionary bannerssafety-first
Verb(1 words)
stays the course
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: slogan, accelerate progress, achievement, adage, alerion.
- Sentence evidence is available for motto, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "motto".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "motto"
Keep "motto" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "motto" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "motto", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "motto" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
7 entriesMore specific
8 entriesbrand mottocoin mottocorporate mottomonument mottonational mottopersonal mottoschool mottoseal motto
Collocations
6 entriesbrand mottocorporate mottofamily mottonational mottopersonal mottoschool motto
Inflections
2 entriesDerivations
1 entriesTranslations
32 translations across 23 languages.
Armenian
2 entries- բնաբան noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
- նշանաբան noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
Bulgarian
1 entries- мо́то noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
Catalan
1 entries- lema noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
Chinese Mandarin
3 entries- 座右銘 /座右铭 noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
- 格言 noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
- 標語 /标语 noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
Czech
1 entries- motto noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
Danish
1 entries- motto noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
Dutch
1 entries- motto noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
Finnish
2 entries- motto noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
- tunnuslause noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
French
1 entries- devise noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
German
1 entries- Motto noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
Hungarian
1 entries- mottó noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
Japanese
2 entries- モットー noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
- 標語 noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
Korean
1 entries- 표어 noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
Polish
2 entries- dewiza noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
- motto noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
Portuguese
2 entries- lema noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
- mote noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
Russian
1 entries- деви́з noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
Scottish Gaelic
1 entries- ceann-sgrìobhadh noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
Spanish
1 entries- lema noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
Swedish
1 entries- motto noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
Tagalog
1 entries- kasabihan noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
Thai
3 entries- คติ noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
- คติพจน์ noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
- คำขวัญ noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
Turkish
1 entries- motto noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
Ukrainian
1 entries- деві́з noun (suggestive sentence, phrase or word)
Sample sentences
15 total sentences available.
You mustn't carelessly believe the maker's motto.
Source: tatoeba (327325)
The motto of Twitter is "The best way to discover what's new in your world".
Source: tatoeba (515443)
One for all, and all for one, this is our motto.
Source: tatoeba (833267)
Showing 4 of 15 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "motto"?
Closest matches include slogan, accelerate progress, achievement, adage, alerion.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "motto"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.