dedicate

American  

[ded-i-keyt, ded-i-kit] / ˈdɛd ɪˌkeɪt, ˈdɛd ɪ kɪt /

verb (used with object)

• dedicates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• dedicated,
  past participle,  past
• dedicating
  present participle

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.

   Synonyms:

   consecrate, pledge, commit

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.

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adjective

1. dedicated.

dedicate British  

/ ˈdɛdɪˌkeɪt, ˈdɛdɪˌkeɪtərɪ, ˈdɛdɪkətərɪ, -trɪ /

verb

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

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adjective

1. an archaic word for dedicated

Synonym Usage

See devote.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dedicatee
  noun
• dedicator
  noun
• overdedicate
  verb (used with object)
• prededicate
  verb (used with object)
• rededicate
  verb (used with object)
• dedicatory
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• dedicating
  present
• dedicated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• dedicate
  simple
• dedicates
  simple
• have dedicated
  perfect
• has dedicated
  perfect
• am dedicating
  progressive
• are dedicating
  progressive
• is dedicating
  progressive
• have been dedicating
  perfect progressive
• has been dedicating
  perfect progressive

Past

• dedicated
  simple
• had dedicated
  perfect
• was dedicating
  progressive
• were dedicating
  progressive
• had been dedicating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will dedicate
  simple
• will have dedicated
  perfect
• will be dedicating
  progressive
• will have been dedicating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of dedicate

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)

Explanation

To dedicate is to assign, to commit or to give over. If you dedicate a song you’ve written to a friend, it means the song belongs to them. If you dedicate yourself to a project, it means you give yourself to it. Things you may be dedicated to include your family, improving your local park, or attempting to break the world record for making the world's biggest rubber band ball. A dedicated resource is one committed to a specific mission, such as the computer room at your school being dedicated, or given over, to newspaper production every Tuesday afternoon.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dedicate dedicates dedicated dedicating

I learned instead that ballet is grueling, often painful work made to look effortless by the incredible professional dancers who dedicate their lives to the art form.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

The label said Laforteza has been receiving "the utmost support" and consulting medical professionals, and has been advised to dedicate time to "extended rest and ongoing care to ensure a full recovery".

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

By comparison, the partially reusable RLV C5 would dedicate about 74% of its mass to payload.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026

Our European allies need to dedicate resources to their common security.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

And despite not having been friends for the past thirty years, Hollister had cared enough to dedicate his window display to Mr. Griswold in a time of need.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

The lobbying contract dedicates a section to the minerals sector -- a global strategic priority for Trump's administration -- instructing the firm to "support efforts to identify opportunities for cooperation".

From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026

Tedesco dedicates nearly every moment of his trips to maintaining or drumming up business.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026

The 34-year-old is now launching a new ITV reality show called The Heat, but dedicates much of her time to investigating topics such as cosmetic surgery, adult entertainment and online trolling.

From BBC ● Feb. 28, 2026

The Dudamel love fest arrives as the Bowl dedicates its iconic stage to John Williams in celebration of the composer’s decades-long relationship with the venue.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026

“For which she will one day thank us when she dedicates her first book to the Marysville Free Public Library.”

From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt

The 17,000 acres they vacated would be dedicated to conservation and ecological restoration — with a few cattle remaining to feast on invasive species.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Yasukuni is dedicated to 2.5 million war dead, mostly Japanese, including convicted war criminals involved in Imperial Japan's invasion and occupation of parts of Asia in the 1930s and 1940s.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

The latest proposals would end the ability to cast multiple votes for the same country, although dedicated fans could still register for additional accounts with different payment methods.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

"It's the product of years of work by a dedicated, international team of astronomers. We're excited to share DR20 with the world and see what the community discovers with it."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026

Tom was a dedicated family man, but like his father he was attracted to the darkness, and in 1917 he took the oath to become a special agent of the Bureau of Investigation.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

The monastery, which includes one of the oldest major churches in Christianity, was built around a column that Saint Simeon sat on for years, dedicating his life to prayer.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

On the album Hall can be heard dedicating Friday Night, Saturday Morning to The Parsons Nose, a nod to the popular local chip shop where the band had been photographed early in their career.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

Hollywood star Josh Duhamel may be parting ways with his life in Los Angeles and dedicating himself to living full-time at his off-grid Minnesota cabin after listing his longtime L.A. home for $2.99 million.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

Hollywood star Josh Duhamel appears to be parting ways with his life in Los Angeles and dedicating himself to living full-time at his off-grid Minnesota cabin after listing his longtime California home for $2.99 million.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026

I like having money and I like the fact that I’m not dedicating too much time to feeling sorry for myself.

From "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Related Words

• allot
• apply
• apportion
• assign
• commit
• devote
• give
• restrict