devote
Americanverb (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.
-
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.
verb
-
to apply or dedicate (oneself, time, money, etc) to some pursuit, cause, etc
-
obsolete to curse or doom
Related Words
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
- devotement noun
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” ( vow )
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.
The directors don’t exactly overlook the miserable parts of Turner’s life either, devoting the first half of “Tina” to her early career and raucous blaze she created as the dancing front of the traveling revue.
From Salon
In the meantime, I’ll devote all my extra free time to help him launch his business, just like he says I promised I would.
From Literature
We are living through an arms race that is pushing countries to devote ever larger shares of their budgets to armaments.
“It’s absolute ridiculousness,” Errol Marks, who hosts a podcast devoted to New York sports, says about the cost and complexity that watching games requires now.
From MarketWatch
"A devoted husband, father and a grandfather, Geoff brought Rob to his first ever game at Headingley and started his love of the Rhinos," the statement said.
From BBC
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.
