dedication
Americannoun
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the act of dedicating.
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the state of being dedicated.
Her dedication to medicine was so great that she had time for little else.
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a formal, printed inscription in a book, piece of music, etc., dedicating it to a person, cause, or the like.
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a personal, handwritten inscription in or on a work, as by an author to a friend.
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a ceremony marking the official completion or opening of a public building, institution, monument, etc.
noun
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the act of dedicating or the state of being dedicated
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an inscription or announcement prefixed to a book, piece of music, etc, dedicating it to a person or thing
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complete and wholehearted devotion, esp to a career, ideal, etc
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a ceremony in which something, such as a church, is dedicated
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of dedication
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English dedicacioun, from Latin dēdicātiōn-, stem of dēdicātiō, literally, “a declaring,” equivalent to dēdicāt(us) “declared, devoted” (past participle of dēdicāre; see dedicate) + -iō -ion
Explanation
Dedication means "committing yourself to something," like your dedication to marathon training that had you running every single morning for four months. Dedication can be complete devotion and faith in someone or something, like your dedication to your family, a ceremony in which something is officially named, like the dedication of a new building. Another kind of dedication is a short message written to someone, like the dedication "Happy Birthday, Uncle Fred," which you write inside the book you give him, or something extra added to an autograph, like "To my greatest fan!"
Vocabulary lists containing dedication
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
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It's Lit: Hanukkah Words
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Michelle Obama's final address as First Lady (2017)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Dedication to these documents demands openness to change.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
“For me, it’s important to still be in the deal,” dishes the author of “The Dealmaker: How To Succeed in Business & Life Through Dedication, Determination & Disruption.”
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
We stand transfixed on the rim of a verdant canyon, the Snake River meandering past 400 feet below as the sun comes up over Dedication Point.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 26, 2023
Traditionally, new British monarchs are presented with them after their coronation and this will take place at the Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication to be held at St Giles next week.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2023
He hung back & requested Proofs of the Boy’s Dedication to our Cause.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
