Meaning & use
spiritual advisor
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A person who gives guidance on religious or spiritual matters.
Grammar: Countable: 'a spiritual advisor', 'two spiritual advisors'. Often used with 'my' or 'her'.
Patterns
- a spiritual advisor to someone
- consult a spiritual advisor
- act as a spiritual advisor
She met with her spiritual advisor before making the decision.
The king had a spiritual advisor who helped him with moral questions.
He works as a spiritual advisor for people of all faiths.
nouncountableinformal
A person, often not officially trained, who offers New Age or alternative spiritual guidance.
Grammar: Countable; often used in the context of alternative spirituality.
Patterns
- a spiritual advisor
- see a spiritual advisor
- spiritual advisor and healer
Many people visit a spiritual advisor for advice on life problems.
She advertises herself as a spiritual advisor and energy healer.
He claimed to be a spiritual advisor, but he had no formal training.
Word forms
| plural | spiritual advisors |
|---|
Common combinations
- spiritual advisor to the king
- The monk served as spiritual advisor to the king.
- seek a spiritual advisor
- After the loss, he sought a spiritual advisor for comfort.
- trusted spiritual advisor
- She was a trusted spiritual advisor to many in the community.
- spiritual advisor and guide
- He described himself as a spiritual advisor and guide.
Synonyms and how they differ
- guru
- Often implies a religious teacher in Hinduism or a respected expert; can sound more exotic or informal than 'spiritual advisor'.
- counselor
- General word for someone who gives advice, often psychological or professional, not necessarily spiritual.
- chaplain
- A religious official attached to an institution like a hospital or army; more specific and official than 'spiritual advisor'.
Word family
Commonly confused: spiritual advisor or spiritual adviser?
spiritual advisor vs spiritual adviser
'Adviser' is a common variant spelling; both are correct, but 'advisor' is more common in American English.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'spiritual advisor' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Spiritual advisor' is a countable noun meaning a person who gives spiritual guidance; option 0 uses it correctly as the object of 'asked'. Option 1 is wrong because 'advisor' is not a verb and the phrase does not mean a mechanic. Option 2 is wrong because 'spiritual advisor' cannot be used as a verb. Option 3 is wrong because the subject is singular, so it should be 'is', not 'are'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “spiritual advisor”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.