dedication

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noun ded·i·ca·tion \ ˌde-di-ˈkā-shən \

Definition of dedication

1 religion :an act or rite of dedicating (see ²dedicate 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

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dedicatory

play \ˈde-di-kə-ˌtȯr-ē\ adjective

See dedication defined for English-language learners

See dedication defined for kids

dedication was our Word of the Day on 08/16/2016. Hear the podcast!

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 of dedication from the Web

His drive and dedication to perform at the highest level resonates daily from his tremendous work ethic.

— randy mcroberts, The Aegis, "2017 high school football preview," 30 Aug. 2017
Descendants of the soldiers gathered around the monument to pose for photographs after today's dedication.

— mike cason, AL.com, "Montgomery dedicates monument to Alabama's WWI soldiers," 28 Aug. 2017
Queen Yahna, a soul and gospel singer from Philadelphia who now lives in Berlin, performed for the crowd at the house’s official dedication in April.

— david rising, The Seattle Times, "Rosa Parks’ house may be returned to US from Germany," 25 Aug. 2017
Queen Yahna, a soul and gospel singer from Philadelphia who now lives in Berlin, performed for the crowd at the house's official dedication in April.

— Bloomberg.com, "Rosa Parks’s House May Be Returned to U.S. From Germany," 25 Aug. 2017
And is likely up for a promotion for his dedication.

— bess levin, The Hive, "Can the White House Buy Its Way Out of Trump’s Neo-Nazi Problem?," 21 Aug. 2017
As the Southern Poverty Law Center report explains: Two distinct periods saw a significant rise in the dedication of monuments and other symbols [of the Confederacy].

— robert newhouse, Teen Vogue, "How Donald Trump Furthered White Supremacy," 16 Aug. 2017
The dedication, which was celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, is part of a $2.5 million project to renovate the playground.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "A Brooklyn Basketball Court is Named After Notorious B.I.G.," 4 Aug. 2017
But no sculptor has incorporated the fourth dimension with Calder’s intelligence, dedication and sly humour.

— The Economist, "Alexander Calder made time a sculptural medium," 22 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dedication.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

The word dedication first appears in the 14th century as a name for the solemn act of dedicating something, such as a calendar day or a church, to a divine being or to a sacred use. The word—formed from the Latin past participle of dedicare, meaning "to dedicate"—did not take hold in secular contexts until a few centuries later when English speakers began using it to refer to the act of devoting time and energy to a particular purpose. One of the earliest writers to do so is William Shakespeare. "His life I gave him, and did thereto ad / My love without retention or restraint, / All his in dedication….," proclaims his character Antonio in Twelfth Night. Dedication has also come to describe the quality of being loyal or devoted to a cause, ideal, or purpose. Nowadays, people are commonly spoken of as having a dedication to his or her family or work.

Origin and Etymology of dedication

see ¹dedicate

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First Known Use: 14th century

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dedication Synonyms

DEDICATION Defined for English Language Learners

dedication

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noun

Definition of dedication for English Language Learners

: a feeling of very strong support for or loyalty to someone or something : the quality or state of being dedicated to a person, group, cause, etc.
: a message at the beginning of a book, song, etc., saying that it was written or is being performed in order to honor or express affection for someone
: the act of officially saying that something (such as a new building) was created for a particular purpose (such as worship) or to remember or honor a particular person