dedicate

[ verb ded-i-keyt; adjective ded-i-kit ]
See synonyms for: dedicatededicated on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),ded·i·cat·ed, ded·i·cat·ing.
  1. to set apart and consecrate to a deity or to a sacred purpose: The ancient Greeks dedicated many shrines to Aphrodite.

  2. to devote wholly and earnestly, as to some person or purpose: He dedicated his life to fighting corruption.

  1. to offer formally (a book, piece of music, etc.) to a person, cause, or the like in testimony of affection or respect, as on a prefatory page.

  2. (loosely) to inscribe a personal signature on (a book, drawing, etc., that is one's own work), usually with a salutation addressing the recipient.

  3. to mark the official completion or opening of (a public building, monument, highway, etc.), usually by formal ceremonies.

  4. to set aside for or assign to a specific function, task, or purpose: The county health agency has dedicated one inspector to monitor conditions in nursing homes.

adjective

Origin of dedicate

1
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English (verb and adjective) from Latin dēdicātus, past participle of dēdicāre “to declare, devote,” equivalent to dē- “from, away, out of” + dicāre “to indicate, consecrate,” akin to dīcere “to say, speak”; see de-, dictate)

synonym study For dedicate

1. See devote.

Other words for dedicate

Other words from dedicate

  • ded·i·ca·tor, noun
  • o·ver·ded·i·cate, verb (used with object), o·ver·ded·i·cat·ed, o·ver·ded·i·cat·ing.
  • pre·ded·i·cate, verb (used with object), pre·ded·i·cat·ed, pre·ded·i·cat·ing.
  • re·ded·i·cate, verb (used with object), re·ded·i·cat·ed, re·ded·i·cat·ing.

Words Nearby dedicate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use dedicate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dedicate

dedicate

/ (ˈdɛdɪˌkeɪt) /


verb(tr)
  1. (often foll by to) to devote (oneself, one's time, etc) wholly to a special purpose or cause; commit wholeheartedly or unreservedly

  2. (foll by to) to address or inscribe (a book, artistic performance, etc) to a person, cause, etc as a token of affection or respect

  1. (foll by to) to request or play (a record) on radio for another person as a greeting

  2. to assign or allocate to a particular project, function, etc

  3. to set apart for a deity or for sacred uses; consecrate

adjective
  1. an archaic word for dedicated

Origin of dedicate

1
C15: from Latin dēdicāre to announce, from dicāre to make known, variant of dīcere to say

Derived forms of dedicate

  • dedicatee, noun
  • dedicator, noun
  • dedicatory (ˈdɛdɪˌkeɪtərɪ, ˈdɛdɪkətərɪ, -trɪ) or dedicative, adjective

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