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dedicate

[verb ded-i-keyt; adjective ded-i-kit]
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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.
  3. 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.
  4. (loosely) to inscribe a personal signature on (a book, drawing, etc., that is one's own work), usually with a salutation addressing the recipient.
  5. to mark the official completion or opening of (a public building, monument, highway, etc.), usually by formal ceremonies.
  6. 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
  1. dedicated.

Origin of dedicate

1375–1425; late Middle English (v. and adj.) < Latin dēdicātus past participle of dēdicāre to declare, devote, equivalent to dē- de- + dicāre to indicate, consecrate, akin to dīcere to say, speak (see dictate)
Related formsded·i·ca·tor, nouno·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.

Synonyms for dedicate

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2. commit, pledge, consecrate.

Synonym study

1. See devote.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for dedicate

apportion, give, devote, restrict, allot, apply, commit, assign, consecrate, pledge, offer, inscribe, consign, appropriate, address, surrender, bless, hallow, anoint

Examples from the Web for dedicate

Contemporary Examples of dedicate

Historical Examples of dedicate

British Dictionary definitions for dedicate

dedicate

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
  3. (foll by to) to request or play (a record) on radio for another person as a greeting
  4. to assign or allocate to a particular project, function, etc
  5. to set apart for a deity or for sacred uses; consecrate
adjective
  1. an archaic word for dedicated
Derived Formsdedicatee, noundedicator, noundedicatory (ˈdɛdɪˌkeɪtərɪ, ˈdɛdɪkətərɪ, -trɪ) or dedicative, adjective

Word Origin for dedicate

C15: from Latin dēdicāre to announce, from dicāre to make known, variant of dīcere to say
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
Word Origin and History for dedicate
v.

early 15c. (of churches), from Latin dedicatus, past participle of dedicare "consecrate, proclaim, affirm, set apart," from de- "away" (see de-) + dicare "proclaim," from stem of dicere "to speak, to say" (see diction). Dedicated "devoted to one's aims or vocation" is first attested 1944.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper