devote

1 of 2

verb

de·​vote di-ˈvōt How to pronounce devote (audio)
dē-
devoted; devoting
Synonyms of devote

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 How to pronounce devote (audio)
dē-
noun

devotement

2 of 2

noun

de·​vote·​ment də̇ˈvōtmənt How to pronounce devotement (audio)
dēˈ-
plural -s
: the act of devoting or state of being set apart by or as if by a vow : dedication

Synonyms of devote

Relevance

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
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

Verb 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
For example, one of my friends devotes each day of the week to a different zone in her house. — Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 30 June 2026 Women were also more likely to work from home than their male counterparts and devote more time to childcare and other household tasks, the survey found. — Jessica Dickler,gabriel Cortés, CNBC, 1 July 2026 Hanna devoted much of it to his unsuccessful effort to force the state to disclose records about its lethal-injection protocol. — Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 30 June 2026 State television has also devoted much of its programming in recent days to documentaries on Khamenei's life. — Alex Sundby, CBS News, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for devote

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of devote was in 1586

Phrases Containing devote

Rhymes for devote

See All Rhymes for devote

Browse Nearby Words

dévot
devote
devoted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Devote.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devote. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

devote

verb
de·​vote di-ˈvōt How to pronounce devote (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on devote

Nglish: Translation of devote for Spanish Speakers

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