as in to devote
to keep or intend for a special purpose a young attorney who has decided to dedicate her career to helping the poor receive justice

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How does the verb dedicate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dedicate are consecrate, devote, and hallow. While all these words mean "to set apart for a special and often higher end," dedicate implies solemn and exclusive devotion to a sacred or serious use or purpose.

dedicated her life to medical research

Where would consecrate be a reasonable alternative to dedicate?

The synonyms consecrate and dedicate are sometimes interchangeable, but consecrate stresses investment with a solemn or sacred quality.

consecrate a church to the worship of God

When might devote be a better fit than dedicate?

Although the words devote and dedicate have much in common, devote is likely to imply compelling motives and often attachment to an objective.

devoted his evenings to study

In what contexts can hallow take the place of dedicate?

While in some cases nearly identical to dedicate, hallow, often differing little from dedicate or consecrate, may distinctively imply an attribution of intrinsic sanctity.

battlegrounds hallowed by the blood of patriots

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of dedicate The Lox Bagel Shop Kevin and Jenna Crowley’s the Lox Bagel Shop proves that quintessential bagels aren’t limited to New York City—and that dedicating yourself to a single craft, much like a Japanese shokunin, can be incredibly rewarding. Katie Chang, AFAR Media, 31 Oct. 2025 Dana Dixon, Jamaica’s information minister, said the Jamaican military has dedicated a helicopter to locate and collect bodies. George Solis, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2025 The government, which is still not yet saying what the death toll is, has dedicated a Jamaica Defense Force helicopter to locate and coordinate the collection of bodies. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025 That revenue will be dedicated exclusively to mitigate climate impact. Josh Green, Time, 30 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dedicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dedicate
Verb
  • Even with other democratic countries, Biden and his team devoted little attention to expanding free trade agreements and fueled economic tensions with allies, especially South Korea and Japan.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Even at places that had multiple televisions, the bar staff and managers were not willing to devote one of the TVs to a women's game.
    Cathy Kozlowicz, jsonline.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Our clean energy and wildfire prevention efforts are saving billions—both in disaster costs and everyday bills.
    MSNBC Newsweek, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • My father had two superpowers that saved him in the face of all those failures—his talent for telling stories and gardening.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dedicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dedicate. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on dedicate

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