devote

[dih-voht]

verb (used with object)

devoted, devoting 

1. 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

2. 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.

3. to commit to evil or destruction; doom.

devote

/ dɪˈvəʊt /

verb

1. to apply or dedicate (oneself, time, money, etc) to some pursuit, cause, etc

2. obsolete,  to curse or doom

Other Word Forms

• devotement noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of devote¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of devote¹

C16: from Latin dēvōtus devoted, solemnly promised, from dēvovēre to vow; see _de- , _vow

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Mr. Fox has assembled a lightly amusing scrapbook of memories, suitable for a very short flight, aimed directly at devoted fans of “Back to the Future.”

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Since the nearby Barnes Foundation provides most of the administrative services, the building could devote a full two-thirds of its space to exhibition galleries.

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And Sèvres’s astounding range expands even further in the section devoted to modern and contemporary artists—where, unfortunately, some artworks, though impeccably executed, stumble aesthetically.

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But they take a cursory approach to the issue, devoting less than a page to it.

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Working mostly collaboratively during this period, they made avant-garde films and an album, “Some Time in New York City,” devoted to topical songs with a political edge.

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Related Words

• allot 
• apply 
• assign 
• dedicate 
• donate 
• give 
• give away 
• present