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

Since March 18, about six people in the department’s communicable-disease program have devoted part of their time to the situation. — Ryan Blethen, The Seattle Times, "How do you persuade people to vaccinate? Clark County measles outbreak highlights the difficulties," 13 Apr. 2019 Group members have also devoted years to developing a minimum standard of welfare for captive elephants working in Southeast Asia’s tourism industry. — Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, "Is It Ever Okay to Ride Elephants While on Vacation? It’s Complicated...," 18 Oct. 2018 The Federal Communications Commission plans to auction the broadest set of airwaves yet to speed the nation’s adoption of superfast 5G wireless communications, as well as devoting more than $20 billion to improving mobile connections in rural areas. — Todd Shields, The Seattle Times, "5G airwaves coming to market in broadest sale yet, FCC says," 12 Apr. 2019 The ACMs host devoted her next album, For My Broken Heart, to her beloved coworkers in October 1991. — Blair Donovan, Country Living, "Reba McEntire Honors Late Band Members Who Died in a Tragic Plane Crash 28 Years Ago," 18 Mar. 2019 The woman’s death eight years ago finally gave Yakhina the determination to quit her job and devote herself fully to writing. — Maria Danilova, The Seattle Times, "Russian novel tells story of survival, love in Stalin’s camp," 14 Jan. 2019 Howell took the stage once again to introduce the year’s recipient of the Spirit of Elysium Award: Beau Dunn, who, for the past few years, devoted herself to the work of The Art of Elysium’s cause. — Cameron Bird, Vogue, "Kris Jenner, Jennifer Garner, Rooney Mara, and More Attend The Art of Elysium’s Heaven," 10 Jan. 2019 Osama bin Laden and his ilk have perverted a peaceful religion, devoting it not to the salvation of souls but to the destruction of bodies. — John Mccain, Popular Mechanics, "John McCain: The 9/11 Conspiracy Myths and the Truth Under Attack," 11 Sep. 2018 In recent years, Ferguson has turned her life around and devoted herself to her charity work. — Eileen Reslen, Harper's BAZAAR, "Sarah Ferguson Will Be Front and Center at Daughter Princess Eugenie's Royal Wedding," 26 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.