# Mentee isn't really a word, but we're probably stuck with it **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 2, 2021, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080 "2021-02-02T20:27:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/1 "2021-02-02T20:27:37Z")
My company is starting a mentorship program, and the official announcement email talked about both “mentors” and “mentees”. Being the pedantic jerk that I am, I dashed off a light-hearted note to my VP, pointing out the word pair isn’t based on “somebody who ments” and “somebody who gets mented”…but rather, the character in The Odyssey named Mentor, who was the tutor of Telemachus. The VP thought that was pretty awesome, to her credit. My OED is several years old, but it doesn’t have “mentee”. But I suspect that ship has sailed and it’s here to stay. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/2 "2021-02-02T20:30:30Z")
Mentee - “Someone who is mentored.” ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/3 "2021-02-02T20:33:23Z")
And of course Stentor refers to a loud speaker and Stentee refers to a loud listener. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/4 "2021-02-02T20:37:02Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Mentee - “Someone who is mentored.” If we’re going to create back-formations on faulty etymology, then it would probably be “mentoree”. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/5 "2021-02-02T20:37:44Z")
Online OED > **Origin:** Formed within English, by derivation. **Etymons:** [mentor n.](https://oed.com/view/Entry/116575#eid37279247), [-ee suffix1](https://oed.com/view/Entry/59615#eid5746921). > > **Etymology:** \< _ment-_ (in [mentor n.](https://oed.com/view/Entry/116575#eid37279247)) + [-ee suffix1](https://oed.com/view/Entry/59615#eid5746921). > > Originally _U.S._ > > Categories » > > A person who has a mentor; the person guided or tutored by a mentor. > > 1965 _Amer. Econ. Rev._ **55** 862 What is the typical economics class but a contact between the conservative teacher and his mentees? > > 1978 _Amer. Polit. Sci. Rev._ **72** 423 The effects of the mentor on the mentee can be profound. > > 1983 _Progressive_ Oct. 35 An older crafty male mentor uses Svengali-like power to mezmerize a young female mentee. > > 1994 _Vanity Fair (N.Y.)_ May 168/3 But about the mentor/mentee relationship between the detectives, that’s an important thing. > > 2001 _Fast Company_ (Electronic ed.) 1 Jan. 58 Although Garrison doesn’t think that mentors need to be best friends with their mentees, he does think that both partners should feel simpatico on some level. Stuff like this happens. In the late 19th century, people in America and the UK independently decided that they needed a verb for what a burglar does for a living. The UK folks created “burgle” much like “mentee” was created (by treating the “ar” as if it were “er” added to a verb) (I’m convinced that the first few people did that as a joke). In America, they were more regular - adding “ize” to the noun to create “burglarize.” ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/6 "2021-02-02T21:08:05Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > My OED is several years old, but it doesn’t have “mentee”. But I suspect that ship has sailed and it’s here to stay. The OED is a beautiful artifact of the rich history of new words added to the English language, and it is _explicitly_ descriptive, not prescriptive. A given edition of the OED is not the end-form of the English language. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/7 "2021-02-02T21:17:13Z")
If we’re going to invent a word, let’s go with mentat. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/8 "2021-02-02T21:19:45Z")
“All words are made up.” -Thor ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/9 "2021-02-02T21:28:49Z")
> You will soon be free, my friend, > So do not worry any more. > The king will let you out of here, > You’ll buttle as you did before. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/10 "2021-02-02T21:37:29Z")
I _like_ that new words happen. That some of them have amusing, obvious but incorrect origins is delightful. ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/11 "2021-02-02T21:37:40Z")
Plural: mentos ---
**Author:** ![FastDan1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fastdan1/32/427_2.png) [@FastDan1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FastDan1)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/12 "2021-02-02T21:38:23Z")
This feels like the right place to add a plug for the movie “The Professor and the Madman” for those that haven’t seen it. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/13 "2021-02-02T21:42:25Z")
As evidenced by the fact that somewhere between my hard copy (Shorter) OED, and the online OED linked by Andy\_L – mentee made the cut. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/14 "2021-02-02T21:42:59Z")
I started it a few days ago, but got interrupted. I’ll definitely go back and finish. ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/15 "2021-02-02T21:47:28Z")
We’re also stuck with “supervisee.” Actually I like that better than “report” anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/16 "2021-02-02T23:17:21Z")
You’ve earwormed me, so in return “It was red and yellow and green and brown and blue!” ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/17 "2021-02-02T23:34:00Z")
> “When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’ > > ’The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’ > > ’The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master — that’s all.” > > ― **Lewis Carroll** , _Through the Looking Glass_ ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2021, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/18 "2021-02-03T00:21:42Z")
Every golfer knows the Mentee is about ten yards back from the Ladies’ Tee. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2021, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/19 "2021-02-03T01:39:19Z")
If someone does the work of Mentor, aren’t they a mentorer? Thus working with mentorees? Or is it Manatees? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2021, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/20 "2021-02-03T02:42:53Z")
Back when I was part of my company’s mentorship program, they kept referring to “mentees.” I insisted there was no such word and the proper term should be “protege.” Even though that is absolutely the correct word (“a person who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced or influential person”) my suggestion fell flat. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080.md?page=2)