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:
In 2023, Evans explained his decision to step away from the franchise, saying he would “never say never” about returning but wanted to devote less of his life to acting.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
Ostensibly, the attention teams would devote to Garrett and Donald might provide Turner with more opportunities for splash plays.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
Commissioners are expected to devote approximately one day per week to commission business over the course of a year, with a proportionately greater commitment required April to August.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Leavitt, who gave birth to her second child in early May, announced on August 12 that she was leaving her position to devote more time to her family.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
When I finished school, I’d intended to devote all of my time to the Hunt.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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
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
But as funding from cap-and-invest and the climate bond dwindle, the state must increasingly turn to Cal Fire, which devotes only a small portion of its budget to mitigation work.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2026
Never doubt what can happen when a teenager finds something they love and devotes time and energy to achieving their dreams.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
Evans’s is a talent so exceptional that Oliver Sacks, in An Anthropologist on Mars, devotes a passage to him in a chapter on autistic savants–quickly adding that "there is no suggestion that he is autistic."
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
The president called for the museum to immediately create a five-year exhibition devoted to Washington, running through Feb. 22, 2032 — the 300th anniversary of Washington’s birth.
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
For mathematicians, the developments have raised existential questions—what do you do when you have devoted your life to problems that are now being picked off by AI?—and ignited a ferocious backlash.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
The new study, published in the Journal of Attention Disorders, is the first systematic review devoted specifically to gastrointestinal symptoms in ADHD.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
His office described him as a man "devoted to his country and its people".
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Our girls had a beautiful home, food on the table, devoted adults around them, and nothing but encouragement and resources when it came to getting an education.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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
Around the issue of noise, Universal Studios Hollywood has been proactive with Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, devoting a website to just how silent and unobtrusive its groundbreaking coaster would be.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Plus, devoting a day to taking care of business can be good for your finances.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
It was a good thing Rain drove a taxi before devoting her life to terrorizing my mother.
From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman
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.
