devote

verb

de·vote | \di-ˈvōt,

dē-\

devoted; devoting

Definition of devote

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.

Other Words from devote Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about devote

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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

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

More federal and local resources have been devoted to the opioid crisis. — Betsy Mckay, WSJ, "U.S. Life Expectancy Falls Further," 29 Nov. 2018 Much of the film is devoted to longing looks and quiet moments of reflection. — Jenna Marotta, Vogue, "Brian Tyree Henry Still Roots for the Underdog," 23 Nov. 2018 Their latest Hearth and Hand with Magnolia collection, which is devoted entirely to Christmas, drops in Target stores and online Thursday, November 1—but REDcard members can shop the new lineup right now. — Jessica Leigh Mattern, Country Living, "Shop Chip and Joanna Gaines’ New Target Christmas Collection Before Everyone Else," 29 Oct. 2018 Tomorrow, the Duke and Duchess's schedule will be entirely devoted to the Invictus Games. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Meghan Markle Steps Out in Sydney Wearing a Graphic Oscar de La Renta Gown," 26 Oct. 2018 Brett maintains two Instagram accounts—his personal one, and one that's devoted to grilling and smoking meat, called @themeatatarian. — Candace Braun Davison, House Beautiful, "10 Things You Don't Know About HGTV's Jasmine Roth," 11 Sep. 2018 Today’s Security Council session is devoted to chemical weapons — but make no mistake, an Assad regime offensive on Idlib would be a reckless escalation even if chemical weapons were not used. — Fox News, "Haley warns Syria, Russia, Iran against using chemical weapons: Don’t bet against the US," 6 Sep. 2018 Everything Is the Same, Only Different Much of this new intensity is devoted to food, and especially, sweets. — András Szántó, Condé Nast Traveler, "Why Budapest Is Europe's Unlikely Capital of Hedonism," 29 Aug. 2018 The Auxiliary Board is devoted to preserving the legacy of the theater for future generations. — Candace Jordan, chicagotribune.com, "Devil's Ball fires up support for Auditorium Theatre," 10 July 2018

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