devote

verb

de·​vote di-ˈvōt 

dē-

devoted; devoting

transitive verb

1

: to commit by a solemn act

devoted herself to serving God

2

: to give over or direct (time, money, effort, etc.) to a cause, enterprise, or activity

Part of the lecture was devoted to taking questions from the audience.

She devoted her life to public service.

devotement

di-ˈvōt-mənt 

dē-

noun

Synonyms

• allocate
• consecrate
• dedicate
• earmark
• give up (to)
• reserve
• save
• set by

Choose the Right Synonym for devote

devote, dedicate, consecrate, hallow mean to set apart for a special and often higher end.

devote is likely to imply compelling motives and often attachment to an objective.

devoted his evenings to study

dedicate implies solemn and exclusive devotion to a sacred or serious use or purpose.

dedicated her life to medical research

consecrate stresses investment with a solemn or sacred quality.

consecrate a church to the worship of God

hallow, often differing little from dedicate or consecrate, may distinctively imply an attribution of intrinsic sanctity.

battlegrounds hallowed by the blood of patriots

Examples of devote in a Sentence

I conscientiously devote several hours every weekend to playing with my dog.

planning a diplomatic career, she's been intensely devoting herself to the study of foreign languages in college

Recent Examples on the Web

Named for the late Father Charlie Strobel, a Nashville native who devoted his life in the priesthood to community service, Strobel House was unveiled in July. —Jeffrey Steele, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024

Teens are devoting slightly less time to the biggest social media apps but remain as glued to their devices as ever, according to a new Pew Research Center report. —Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 12 Dec. 2024

Netflix takes an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the high stakes and mental toughness of the sprinters who devote their entire lives to crossing the finish line in record time, where their professional futures are decided in just fractions of a second. —Essence, 10 Dec. 2024

The Republicans devote more than 50 pages of their report to an effort to denigrate a seminal paper supporting the zoonosis hypothesis. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin devotus, past participle of devovēre, from de- + vovēre to vow

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing devote

• devote to

Kids Definition

devote

verb

de·​vote di-ˈvōt 

devoted; devoting

1

: to set apart for a special purpose

devote land to farming

2

: to give (oneself) up to

devoted herself to her career