Synonyms

devote

American

[dih-voht] / dɪˈvoʊt /

verb (used with object)

to give up or appropriate to or concentrate on a particular pursuit, occupation, purpose, cause, etc..

to devote one's time to reading.

Synonyms:

consign, apply, assign
to appropriate by or as if by a vow; set apart or dedicate by a solemn or formal act; consecrate.

She devoted her life to God.
to commit to evil or destruction; doom.

devote British

/ dɪˈvəʊt /

verb

to apply or dedicate (oneself, time, money, etc) to some pursuit, cause, etc
obsolete to curse or doom

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

Devote, dedicate, consecrate share the sense of assigning or applying someone or something to an activity, function, or end. Devote, though it has some overtones of religious dedication, is the most general of the three terms: He devoted his free time to mastering the computer. Dedicate is more solemn and carries an ethical or moral tone: We are dedicated to the achievement of equality for all. Consecrate, even in nonreligious contexts, clearly implies a powerful and sacred dedication: consecrated to the service of humanity.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

devotement

noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of devote

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin dēvōtus “vowed,” past participle of dēvovēre “to vow,” from dē- de- + vovēre “to vow” ( see vow)

Explanation

Devote means to give to. If you devote yourself to jump-roping, you might be found in your driveway every free moment of the day practicing. Nuns and priests are said to devote their lives to God. A knight in shining armor devotes himself to his lady. If you devote as much energy to your school work as you do to your hair, your grades should improve. If our country devoted to education even half of the resources we pour into defense, we could eliminate poverty.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing devote

Early Civilizations of India, Lessons 1–4

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Schooled

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Chapter 2: Exploring the Americas

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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.

The session was briefly red-flagged with about 15 minutes to go to clear up some carbon-fibre debris left by Zhou Guanyu’s Sauber hitting the wall at Sainte Devote.

From BBC • May 24, 2024

Devote your stomach space instead to any of the aforementioned dishes, or anything flagged with “cumin” in its title.

From Washington Post • Mar. 17, 2023

Devote five minutes on each, and then use the final five minutes to mash it all together and swing away.

From Golf Digest • May 3, 2017

Devote at least one day to the holiday party that pedigreed, tradition-happy London—more tweedy than tattooed—knows how to stage, complete with all the throwback trimmings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2015

Devote yourselves to it with all your hearts.

From Good Cheer Stories Every Child Should Know by Dickinson, Asa Don

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023