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:
Leavitt, who gave birth to her second child in early May, announced on August 12 that she was leaving her position to devote more time to her family.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
America’s leading universities devote enormous effort to preparing graduates for participation in a dynamic market economy, yet daily campus life is one of the least market-oriented environments in the world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Instead, Biden said he wanted to devote his time to speaking about addiction and recovery, which he described as a cause capable of bridging America's political divides.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
Although they said they would devote the refund to “price investment,” which sounds like lowering prices.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
It was soon after this trip that Lyell decided to abandon a career in law and devote himself to geology full-time.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
Todd Stankiewicz, chief investment officer of wealth manager Sykon Capital, said he devotes a significant amount of time to getting clients to consider alternatives to cash amid lackluster bond performance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Strangely, Patterson, an Emmy-nominated TV writer, devotes more attention to the plot than to the play’s psychology.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 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
Elle knows this because she studies fashion magazines with the same riveted attention she devotes to preparing for the LSATs, so she can score the 179 she needs to qualify for admission consideration.
From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2026
Evans’s is a talent so exceptional that Oliver Sacks, in An Anthropologist on Mars, devotes a passage to him in a chapter on autistic savants–quickly adding that "there is no suggestion that he is autistic."
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
"Throughout an extraordinary lifetime devoted entirely to artistic creation, Kusama pursued an internationally acclaimed career as a pioneering avant-garde artist whose creative practice encompassed visual art, performance, fiction, and poetry," it said.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
PC Blades, a 37-year-old father of two, was described by his family as a "beloved husband" and the "most devoted father".
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
The course, announced last year, will cover entrepreneurship and business strategy alongside topics devoted to personal finance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
“I don’t need a paper to be a devoted partner and devoted mother,” Bullock said in 2021.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Willis, who ran a publication devoted to high fashion and current trends, described all three Fox sisters as, “considerably prettier than average.”
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
"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
Despite both restaurants being busy with the World Cup final on that day, they insisted on closing to the public and devoting themselves to helping out the newlyweds, she added.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Plus, devoting a day to taking care of business can be good for your finances.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
The 2026 season could be the year the 6-foot-2 Green rises to a whole different level because of his expected improvement from workouts, practices and devoting total attention to where he wants to go.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
Why couldn't I dream of devoting myself to baby after fat puling baby like Dodo Conway?
From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
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.
