dedicate
Americanverb (used with object)
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dedicates,
present (3rd person singular)
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dedicated,
past participle, past
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dedicating
present participle
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to set apart and consecrate to a deity or to a sacred purpose.
The ancient Greeks dedicated many shrines to Aphrodite.
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to devote wholly and earnestly, as to some person or purpose.
He dedicated his life to fighting corruption.
- Synonyms:
- consecrate, pledge, commit
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to offer formally (a book, piece of music, etc.) to a person, cause, or the like in testimony of affection or respect, as on a prefatory page.
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(loosely) to inscribe a personal signature on (a book, drawing, etc., that is one's own work), usually with a salutation addressing the recipient.
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to mark the official completion or opening of (a public building, monument, highway, etc.), usually by formal ceremonies.
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to set aside for or assign to a specific function, task, or purpose.
The county health agency has dedicated one inspector to monitor conditions in nursing homes.
adjective
verb
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(often foll by to) to devote (oneself, one's time, etc) wholly to a special purpose or cause; commit wholeheartedly or unreservedly
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(foll by to) to address or inscribe (a book, artistic performance, etc) to a person, cause, etc as a token of affection or respect
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(foll by to) to request or play (a record) on radio for another person as a greeting
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to assign or allocate to a particular project, function, etc
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to set apart for a deity or for sacred uses; consecrate
adjective
Synonym Usage
See devote.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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dedicateenoun
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dedicatornoun
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overdedicateverb (used with object)
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prededicateverb (used with object)
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rededicateverb (used with object)
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dedicatoryadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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dedicatesimple
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dedicatessimple
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have dedicatedperfect
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has dedicatedperfect
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am dedicatingprogressive
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are dedicatingprogressive
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is dedicatingprogressive
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have been dedicatingperfect progressive
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has been dedicatingperfect progressive
Past
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dedicatedsimple
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had dedicatedperfect
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was dedicatingprogressive
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were dedicatingprogressive
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had been dedicatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dedicate
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English (verb and adjective) from Latin dēdicātus, past participle of dēdicāre “to declare, devote,” equivalent to dē- “from, away, out of” + dicāre “to indicate, consecrate,” akin to dīcere “to say, speak”; see de-, dictate)
Explanation
To dedicate is to assign, to commit or to give over. If you dedicate a song you’ve written to a friend, it means the song belongs to them. If you dedicate yourself to a project, it means you give yourself to it. Things you may be dedicated to include your family, improving your local park, or attempting to break the world record for making the world's biggest rubber band ball. A dedicated resource is one committed to a specific mission, such as the computer room at your school being dedicated, or given over, to newspaper production every Tuesday afternoon.
Vocabulary lists containing dedicate
List 1
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Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" (1863)
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List 1
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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:
The proposed project would dedicate more than 55,900 square feet to open space.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
I learned instead that ballet is grueling, often painful work made to look effortless by the incredible professional dancers who dedicate their lives to the art form.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
By comparison, the partially reusable RLV C5 would dedicate about 74% of its mass to payload.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
I want to thank the brilliant No 10 staff and our country's extraordinary civil service, who dedicate their lives to public service.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
“I will dedicate my life to your good works.”
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
The lobbying contract dedicates a section to the minerals sector -- a global strategic priority for Trump's administration -- instructing the firm to "support efforts to identify opportunities for cooperation".
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
Under Proposition 98, approved by voters in 1988, California has a minimum funding guarantee for schools and community colleges and dedicates roughly 40% of general fund revenue to education.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
Tedesco dedicates nearly every moment of his trips to maintaining or drumming up business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026
And nothing tells you you're part of something so difficult and profound more, than when the champion dedicates his win to a team-mate who lost his life on the cobbles eight years ago.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
He bows his head, summons real tears, and dedicates the performance to Lucinda, whose great and absolute selflessness is the only reason we are able to continue in the face of our loss.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
The author is a dedicated researcher who, in each chapter, digs into archives and personal correspondence to find the most revealing material.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Kelly pulls out his phone to show me a video of a woman whose account is dedicated to sharing puzzling life advice while she appears under an extreme beauty filter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Trump signed the order Friday at an event dedicated to the astronauts who flew around the moon and back earlier this year on NASA’s Artemis II mission.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
She added that it had worked closely with partners to communicate how the fire affected the city through dedicated online channels.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
About a year ago, a group of us started holding bonfires at dedicated clearings in the woods, nowhere near enough to houses for parents to come nosing around our flickering flames.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Appearing as Sunday's headline act, the 82-year-old US soul star sang the track, which included lyrics like: "Joy, joy, joy, freedom, always be you", after dedicating it to the audience.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
Software providers are dedicating more resources to this puzzle, and some are initiating new roles to meet the task at hand.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
The United States has made counter-drone operations a centerpiece of its efforts to secure the 48-team tournament, which it is co-hosting with neighboring Mexico and Canada, dedicating several hundred million dollars to the effort.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Some see it as a second job, dedicating up to 35 hours per week to their virtual duties on top of their real-world nine-to-fives.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
“I’m dedicating this game to you, mi amor. I’m going to win.”
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
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.
