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

Years after being president, Carter devoted much of his attention to diplomacy and advocacy overseas in places like Haiti and North Korea — work that led to him being awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2002. —Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 29 Dec. 2024

Dolan has also devoted time to philanthropy, co-founding The Lustgarten Foundation in Uniondale, New York, to advance pancreatic cancer research. —Natalie Venegas, Newsweek, 29 Dec. 2024

Other states seem to be taking inspiration from Wisconsin—Minnesota, Michigan and others have started cataloging their own canoe archives—while the Society for American Archaeology devoted a symposium last year entirely to the humble dugout. —Jacqueline Kehoe, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Dec. 2024

Without any physical proof of his story, police higher-ups won’t let his deferential boss devote any resources to an investigation. —Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 26 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