devote
verb (used with object)
to give up or appropriate to or concentrate on a particular pursuit, occupation, purpose, cause, etc..
had devoted
-
past perfectof devote.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
By 1970, as a professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Snyder had devoted himself to identifying the brain receptor for the neurotransmitter dopamine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
I was very much in that camp being described by Lee, the “grandmother of Juneteenth,” who had devoted years of her near-century-long life to gaining the day federal recognition.
From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2026
Presenting the award, Hallie Jackson from NBC News noted how all of the nominees in the category had "devoted countless hours and effort to making sure that we keep telling these stories".
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
For nearly 10 years, Schlamminger had devoted much of his career to measuring big G with extraordinary precision.
From Science Daily ● May 18, 2026
For the past three years he had devoted himself to rectitude and—I instantly saw now as he stooped out the door of the plane—growing a stomach.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
