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.
On Thursday, the Vatican’s doctrinal office said the measures were a response to the group’s consecration of four bishops earlier this week without the consent of Pope Leo XIV.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
For centuries, marriage was not the consecration of love, but rather an economic transaction between families who paired up their children in order to consolidate power and land ownership.
From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2026
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
The consecration ceremony was both religious ritual and viral spectacle, with Mr. Modi cast in the role of ultimate victor, striding alone in the frame.
From New York Times ● Feb. 3, 2024
The Cairo airport was where scores of Hajj groups were becoming Muhrim, pilgrims, upon entering the state of Ihram, the assumption of a spiritual and physical state of consecration.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
Even before that, though, some parts of Utah had moved beyond tithing to another Bible-based taxation system, called the Law of Consecration.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 14, 2015
That experiment didn’t last long, but the Law of Consecration is still invoked by Mormons in, for instance, discussions of the church’s welfare program.
From Slate ● Jan. 12, 2012
Consecration over time is the other selling argument that sways those seeking safety.
From New York Times ● Nov. 11, 2011
The most substantial piece of "serious music" on the program was Beethoven's "Consecration of the House" overture.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 18, 2011
Consecration to Him is the root from which the white flower of purity springs most surely.
From The Expositor's Bible: Colossians and Philemon by Maclaren, Alexander
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.
