devote

verb

de·​vote di-ˈvōt 

dē-

devoted; devoting

transitive verb

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.

devotement

di-ˈvōt-mənt 

dē-

noun

Synonyms of devote

• dedicate

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

Those on nine-month contracts must devote 480 hours to instruction — which can include things like lab work, clinical work and internships in addition to lecture time — over the course of the contract. —Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Nov. 2025

Watson, in an apparent spur-of-the-moment remark, announced that the project would devote 3 to 5 percent of its budget to the study of bioethics. —Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 7 Nov. 2025

Tapestry devoted the equivalent of 11 percent of sales to marketing in the first quarter, up from 4 percent during fiscal 2019. —Evan Clark, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2025

Even with other democratic countries, Biden and his team devoted little attention to expanding free trade agreements and fueled economic tensions with allies, especially South Korea and Japan. —Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin devotus, past participle of devovēre, from de- + vovēre to vow

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing devote

• devote to

Rhymes for devote

• afloat
• azote
• banknote
• bareboat
• benzoate
• connote
• cutthroat
• demote
• denote
• endnote
• footnote
• greatcoat

Kids Definition

devote

verb

de·​vote di-ˈvōt 

devoted; devoting

1

: to set apart for a special purpose

devote land to farming

2

: to give (oneself) up to

devoted herself to her career