devote
Americanverb (used with object)
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devotes,
present (3rd person singular)
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devoted,
past participle, past
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devoting
present participle
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to give up or appropriate to or concentrate on a particular pursuit, occupation, purpose, cause, etc..
to devote one's time to reading.
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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.
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to commit to evil or destruction; doom.
verb
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to apply or dedicate (oneself, time, money, etc) to some pursuit, cause, etc
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obsolete to curse or doom
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
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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devotesimple
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devotessimple
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have devotedperfect
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has devotedperfect
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am devotingprogressive
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are devotingprogressive
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is devotingprogressive
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have been devotingperfect progressive
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has been devotingperfect progressive
Past
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devotedsimple
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had devotedperfect
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was devotingprogressive
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were devotingprogressive
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had been devotingperfect progressive
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.
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.
See Examples For:
Quiñones agreed to devote $1 million from the office’s budget to build such a room, but senior officials saw it as unnecessary, telling diGenova to work out of an FBI office nearby.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
However, getting older prompted him to take a closer look at his priorities—and reconsider just how much of his life he wants to devote to work.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
Laredo, cut off from state funding for its Flock cameras, will ask voters for advice on whether to devote $1 million a year to keep 165 of the surveillance devices operating in city limits.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
The sentiment is echoed by other Aberfan survivors, who went on to devote much of their lives to helping others through education, public service, community work and charity.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
“We’re going to devote this quarter to the short story,” Mr. Lawson announces, and instantly Gogol knows.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Mr. Friedman devotes a chapter to Paul Skenes, the star right-hander currently pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
OJM devotes a considerable share of its content to Costco-related high-jinks, and even hosted a chicken-eating contest that drew hundreds of strangers to a sidewalk in Park Slope last month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
In “Atlas,” Natkiel skips that sequel, and devotes only two small maps to the whole first affair, due to its perceived insignificance and limited gains.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
But as funding from cap-and-invest and the climate bond dwindle, the state must increasingly turn to Cal Fire, which devotes only a small portion of its budget to mitigation work.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2026
Once again, she devotes herself to sitting on the steps waiting for Pa’s return.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
Despite its widespread use, scientists have devoted relatively little attention to its potential effects on the liver compared with other types of microplastics.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Overall, much more space would need to be devoted to solar roof tiles to produce the same amount of energy.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
The common link seems to be Daisy Wolcott, a wealthy eccentric who devoted her life and fortune to the discovery and preservation of obscure vegetation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Min said Walker had always been kind and devoted his life to the Min family.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
Leopold Page, who was quite a bit older than I, was devoted to Schindler and made it his life's goal to educate the world about who Schindler was and what he had done.
From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson
“Bob left a lasting mark on baseball by devoting over five decades to the game. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
Mr. Johnson transformed the chain’s toy departments by devoting an entire aisle to Lego products.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
After devoting years to the problem, Schlamminger says he is ready to hand the challenge to others.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
"Celebrities are voting for the Greek summer!" public broadcaster ERT said on Friday, devoting a report to these stars from across the Atlantic.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
From that day, Lord Randyll ignored Sam, devoting all his time to the younger boy, a fierce, robust child more to his liking.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
