dedication

noun

ded·​i·​ca·​tion ˌde-di-ˈkā-shən 

1

religion : an act or rite of dedicating (see dedicate entry 2 sense 1) to a divine being or to a sacred use

the dedication of the temple

2

: a devoting or setting aside for a particular purpose

the dedication of funds raised from the bake sale to the class trip

3

: a name and often a message prefixed to a literary, musical, or artistic production in tribute to a person or cause

mentioned his family in a brief dedication in his novel

4

: self-sacrificing devotion and loyalty

her dedication to the cause

required hard work and dedication

5

: a ceremony to mark the official completion or opening of something (such as a building)

attended the building's dedication nearly fifty years ago

dedicatory

ˈde-di-kə-ˌtȯr-ē 

adjective

Did you know?

Dedication goes back to the 14th century in which it referred to the solemn act of dedicating something, such as a calendar day or a church, to a deity or to a sacred use. Centuries later, it came to be used for the act of devoting time and energy to a particular purpose. Nowadays, dedication commonly indicates the quality of being loyal or devoted to a cause, ideal, or purpose.

Synonyms

• adhesion
• allegiance
• attachment
• commitment
• constancy
• devotedness
• devotion
• faith
• faithfulness
• fastness
• fealty
• fidelity
• loyalty
• piety
• steadfastness
• troth

Examples of dedication in a Sentence

It took a lot of hard work and dedication, but we managed to finish the project on time.

the dedication of the temple

They celebrated the dedication of the new building with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Recent Examples on the Web

Price has won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication, Friday, June 3. —Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Sep. 2023

Thank you for your tireless advocacy and dedication to this cause. —Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023

The more devoted consumers are rewarded for their knowledge of and dedication to the back catalogue. —Gene Park, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2023

So, when Gordon died in May 2020, his filmmaker son Ben Proudfoot decided to make a film that honored his dad’s philanthropy and dedication to serving the public. —Sophia Scorziello, Variety, 12 Sep. 2023

That paradox — his steely-eyed dedication to baseball, and his surprising number of interests outside of it — made Votto something of a baseball man of mystery. —Zach Buchanan, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2023

Beaufort’s architecture is fascinating, and Edisto Island is unrivaled in its peaceful nature and dedication to preserving its history. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2023

But even then, the teen actor was vocal about her passion for music and dedication to her band. —Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2023

This is an intriguing, good-natured, surprising portrayal of the competing temptations that can attend the artist’s dedication to his craft. —Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 4 Sep. 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

see dedicate entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

dedication

noun

ded·​i·​ca·​tion ˌded-i-ˈkā-shən 

1

a

: an act or rite of dedicating to a divine being or to a sacred use

b

: a setting aside for a particular purpose

2

: the inscription dedicating a literary, musical, or artistic work to a person or cause

3

: self-sacrificing devotion

dedicatory

ˈded-i-kə-ˌtōr-ē 

-ˌtȯr-

adjective

Legal Definition

dedication

noun

ded·​i·​ca·​tion ˌde-di-ˈkā-shən 

: a giving up of property to public use that precludes the owner from asserting any further interest in it: as

a

: an intentional donation of land for public use that is accepted by the proper public authorities

b

: intentional or negligent surrender to the public of intellectual property that could have been protected by copyright or patent