Synonyms

devote

American

[dih-voht] / dɪˈvoʊt /

verb (used with object)

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
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.
to commit to evil or destruction; doom.

devote British

/ dɪˈvəʊt /

verb

to apply or dedicate (oneself, time, money, etc) to some pursuit, cause, etc
obsolete to curse or doom

"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

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

devotement

noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing devote

Early Civilizations of India, Lessons 1–4

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Schooled

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Chapter 2: Exploring the Americas

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

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.

Devote your stomach space instead to any of the aforementioned dishes, or anything flagged with “cumin” in its title.

From Washington Post • Mar. 17, 2023

Devote five minutes on each, and then use the final five minutes to mash it all together and swing away.

From Golf Digest • May 3, 2017

Verstappen also crashed in last year's race at the tricky Sainte Devote corner in his debut season with Red Bull's junior team Toro Rosso.

From Reuters • May 28, 2016

He then made a couple a errors, cutting the chicane after misjudging his entry, and then going straight on at the first corner Sainte Devote, without any damage.

From BBC • May 26, 2016

Time to Devote to Technical Exercises Should I practise studies in general for my progress or should I confine myself strictly to my technical exercises?

From Piano Playing: With Piano Questions Answered by Hofmann, Josef

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023