consecrate 1 of 2

adjective

ˈkän(t)-sə-ˌkrāt How to pronounce consecrate (audio)
Definition of consecratenext
as in holy
set apart or worthy of veneration by association with God the consecrate gold tablets which Joseph Smith claimed to have found

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

consecrate

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to dedicate
to keep or intend for a special purpose a philanthropist who consecrated his considerable fortune to an array of charitable causes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to bless
to make holy through prayers or ritual plans to consecrate the altar in the new church with great ceremony

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb consecrate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of consecrate are dedicate, devote, and hallow. While all these words mean "to set apart for a special and often higher end," consecrate stresses investment with a solemn or sacred quality.

consecrate a church to the worship of God

When can dedicate be used instead of consecrate?

While the synonyms dedicate and consecrate are close in meaning, dedicate implies solemn and exclusive devotion to a sacred or serious use or purpose.

dedicated her life to medical research

When would devote be a good substitute for consecrate?

The meanings of devote and consecrate largely overlap; however, devote is likely to imply compelling motives and often attachment to an objective.

devoted his evenings to study

When is it sensible to use hallow instead of consecrate?

In some situations, the words hallow and consecrate are roughly equivalent. However, hallow, often differing little from dedicate or consecrate, may distinctively imply an attribution of intrinsic sanctity.

battlegrounds hallowed by the blood of patriots

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of consecrate
Adjective
Lana Del Rey doesn’t toy with signs—of American glamour and its decay, of female melancholia and racial desire—so much as consecrate them. —Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2023
Verb
The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. —Kary Love, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025 Griswold—whose father, once the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, consecrated the denomination’s first openly gay bishop—treats the pastors generously, though gingerly, constructing from their lowest moments an affecting study of sacred life in sacrilegious times. —Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 2 Aug. 2024 See All Example Sentences for consecrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for consecrate
  1. holy
  2. dedicate
  3. bless
  4. sacred
  5. devote
  6. consecrated
  7. save
Adjective
  • There is some irony that the lawmakers working on the bill with preliminary votes on both Saturday and Sunday, the Jewish Sabbath and the Christian Sabbath, violated the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 27 May 2025
  • Below, shop the 13 best ceramide moisturizers recommended by experts, along with holy grail picks from Vogue editors themselves.
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 26 May 2025
Definition of holy
Verb
  • To properly honor the iconic craft store, Michaels even dedicated an entire landing page on its website for easy product searching and the latest updates.
    — Isabella Milano, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 June 2025
  • For Memorial Day weekend this year, Meet the Press dedicated its whole hour to a special edition on children’s mental health and youth loneliness.
    — Meredith Kile, People.com, 6 June 2025
Definition of dedicate
Verb
  • Along with the support from their online community, Miranda says the family has been incredibly blessed by the outpouring of love and help from their local community.
    — Jordan Greene, People.com, 2 June 2025
  • The King’s Hawaiian rolls at Publix may not have been formally blessed, but come summertime, there’s just no denying that there's something sacred about their delicious simplicity.
    — Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 30 May 2025
Definition of bless
Adjective
  • Wilson notes that, in Black cultures, there traditionally is no separation between the sacred and the secular.
    — Essence, Essence, 29 May 2025
  • As neoliberalism took hold, the market moved into the space once occupied by the sacred and the social.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Definition of sacred
Verb
  • However, manufacturers should devote similar attention to their return on data.
    — Simon Dae Oong Kim, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
  • As one of vanishingly few Palestinian American voices in Hollywood, Amer might have devoted what would, unfortunately, be his show’s final season to current events.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 3 June 2025
Definition of devote
Adjective
  • Until her late 20s, Isabella had never even considered a consecrated life.
    — Lamorna Ash, The Dial, 6 May 2025
  • However, the oil miraculously burned for eight days until new consecrated oil could be found.
    — Chris Sims, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Dec. 2024
Definition of consecrated
Verb
  • Both teams had their first two penalties saved, before Steaua eventually got themselves together to score two… which was enough because Barca missed all four of theirs.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 28 May 2025
  • Reforming laws like these would save large quantities of water.
    — Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Definition of save

Browse Nearby Words

conscripts
consecrate
consecrated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Consecrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consecrate. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on consecrate

Nglish: Translation of consecrate for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

'Bring' vs. 'Take'

Is it 'used to' or 'use to'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms

Some Data About 'Datum'

The Clinical History of 'Moron,' 'Idiot,' and 'Imbecile'
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All