devote

verb

de·​vote di-ˈvōt How to pronounce devote (audio)
dē-
devoted; devoting

transitive verb

1
: to commit by a solemn act
devoted herself to serving God
2
: to give over or direct (time, money, effort, etc.) to a cause, enterprise, or activity
Part of the lecture was devoted to taking questions from the audience.
She devoted her life to public service.
devotement noun
Choose the Right Synonym for devote

devote, dedicate, consecrate, hallow mean to set apart for a special and often higher end.

devote is likely to imply compelling motives and often attachment to an objective.

devoted his evenings to study

dedicate implies solemn and exclusive devotion to a sacred or serious use or purpose.

dedicated her life to medical research

consecrate stresses investment with a solemn or sacred quality.

consecrate a church to the worship of God

hallow, often differing little from dedicate or consecrate, may distinctively imply an attribution of intrinsic sanctity.

battlegrounds hallowed by the blood of patriots

Examples of devote in a Sentence

I conscientiously devote several hours every weekend to playing with my dog. planning a diplomatic career, she's been intensely devoting herself to the study of foreign languages in college
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Matthews devotes one parenthetical sentence claiming rocket launches hurt coastal wildlife. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024 Musk devoted both time and money — lots of it — to helping Trump get elected. William Gavin, Quartz, 13 Nov. 2024 Many other institutions of higher education across the U.S. are devoting additional resources to researching and teaching business ethics, with one recent example being Boston University’s launch of the Ravi K. Mehrotra Institute for Business, Markets and Society at the Questrom School of Business. Eric Reicin, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024 Freda is required to devote not less than 20 percent of his time to his responsibilities in this role. Kathryn Hopkins, WWD, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for devote 

Word History

Etymology

Latin devotus, past participle of devovēre, from de- + vovēre to vow

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of devote was in 1586

Dictionary Entries Near devote

Cite this Entry

“Devote.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devote. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

devote

verb
de·​vote di-ˈvōt How to pronounce devote (audio)
devoted; devoting
1
: to set apart for a special purpose
devote land to farming
2
: to give (oneself) up to
devoted herself to her career

More from Merriam-Webster on devote

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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