dedication

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

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

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

—

dedicatory

play \ˈde-di-kə-ˌtȯr-ē\ adjective

See dedication defined for English-language learners

See dedication defined for kids

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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 family is grateful for the kind and loving care provided by the staff of Unison Health Services, and a special thanks to Carlene Sheltra for her extraordinary dedication.

— robert blake, courant.com, "Robert Blake," 12 Apr. 2018
Your dedication is one of the main reasons Mokena is thriving.

— susan demar lafferty, Daily Southtown, "Mokena Trustee Mazzorana resigns after 25 years," 11 Apr. 2018
Music publishing executive Jon Platt will receive the City of Hope's 2018 Spirit of Life Award for his dedication to philanthropic causes and impactful work in the entertainment industry, it was announced Monday.

— billboard staff, Billboard, "Warner/Chappell CEO Jon Platt to Receive City of Hope's 2018 Spirit of Life Award," 9 Apr. 2018
Xavier guard Quentin Goodin talks about his new head coach, Travis Steele, and his dedication to the program.

— patrick brennan, Cincinnati.com, "Travis Steele taps Jonas Hayes to join Xavier basketball coaching staff," 9 Apr. 2018
The Hands On, Hearts In Award was presented to Jenny Greene Smith for her longstanding dedication to Family Promise's mission.

— david laurell, latimes.com, "On the Town: Family Promise hosts fundraiser at Rose Bowl," 2 Apr. 2018
Jordan was praised by Lee Guillory, Exalted Ruler of the 200-plus member Slidell Elks Lodge, for her dedication to education.

— carol wolfram, NOLA.com, "Mary Lou Jordan is Slidell Citzen of the Year," 1 Apr. 2018
His dedication to doing what is right inspired my life of public service.

— gabby giffords, Glamour, "Gabby Giffords to March For Our Lives Students: 'This Weekend You Will Show the World Your Power'," 22 Mar. 2018
March marks Women's History Month, but also the end of an awards season characterized by its unprecedented dedication to highlighting the role of women in Hollywood, an industry that has had to face some hard truths in recent months.

— refinery29.com, "17 Hollywood Women Share Their Advice For Breaking Into A Male Space," 20 Mar. 2018

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

dedication Synonyms

DEDICATION Defined for English Language Learners

dedication

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