the act of consecrating; dedication to the service and worship of a deity.
the act of giving the sacramental character to the Eucharistic elements of bread and wine, especially in the Roman Catholic Church.
ordination to a sacred office, especially to the episcopate.
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English consecracio(u)n, from Anglo-French, from Latin consecrātiōn-, stem of consecrātiō; equivalent to consecrate + -ion
Most often used in a religious context, consecration is the act of dedicating something to God, sanctifying it and making it holy. For example, someone entering the priesthood goes through a consecration rite that establishes his holy commitment. If we go to the root of consecration, we find the Latin noun sacer, or "sacred." Add the prefix con, meaning "with," and you can figure out that the verb consecrare means "to do with sacred dedication." In time, the word also came to mean any religious or secular action or dedication that indicated a strong commitment to some purpose, as in “He approached his job with the consecration of a religious zealot.”
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Allen, from what I can tell, was not advocating for social revolution, or a total inversion of the market economy, or the consecration of a Marxist state.
From Slate • May 1, 2026
"Many generations had looked forward to this moment," he said in a message earlier this month, adding that he would be "representing all of India's 140 million people" at the consecration ceremony.
From BBC • Jan. 21, 2024
He said he had looked forward to attending the consecration ceremony of an Indian temple early Thursday but has to “miss it to keep others around me safe.”
From Seattle Times • May 31, 2023
He supports the consecration of women as bishops and included them in the coronation ceremony.
From New York Times • May 11, 2023
I imagined the plain wooden crucifix above the altar swinging back and forth as Father Amadi raised the host at consecration.
From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
