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:
It’s important to find a way to devote some money to rainy-day savings, but fighting credit-card debt should take priority over building a cash stockpile, many financial advisers said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
Repeat those efforts again and again, and find ways to devote more of your day to those tasks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
The energy and chemical sectors also devote substantial sums to lobbying in Brussels, respectively spending 52 million euros and 46.5 million euros annually, the two campaign groups' report said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
Bourgeois is even lobbying for The Grand Tour to devote an episode to another of his interests: power stations.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
Wyatt says of her: “She thinks: Why spend all of our time fixing problems when we can perhaps devote a little time preventing them in the first place?”
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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
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
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
Your mother devoted countless hours raising you, and didn’t expect anything in return.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
The statement added that "Elisha was a devoted and loving mother" and "our beautiful babies, Leo, Ellis and Prudence, were loved beyond measure".
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
The opening marks the first show devoted solely to the filmmaker’s photography practice in L.A., and is the first exhibition in his adopted city since his death in 2025.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
The 20th-century advance in American pharmaceutical science was driven by a cohort of devoted researchers working with ambitious drug companies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
The older woman thought Maggie’s letters “sweet and touching” and approved of the couple, “What is more to be prized than a pure, devoted heart?”
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
After devoting years to the problem, Schlamminger says he is ready to hand the challenge to others.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
Historically, Jersey Mike’s leaned on broad television audiences and sponsorships—like its NFL partnership with Eli Manning as brand ambassador—while devoting little of its marketing budget to social media.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 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
With Farage no longer an MP and fighting his own by-election in Clacton in Essex - he is hamstrung when it comes to devoting as much time and energy to Greater Manchester.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Burt was right when he praised Nemur and Strauss for devoting themselves to something important and uncertain rather than to something insignificant and safe.
From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
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.
