devoted; devoting
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.
Synonyms
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
The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors Why devote an entire gallery to ricotta cheese recipes?
—
Joe Sevier, Bon Appétit, 19 Apr. 2024
On average, Pac-12 public universities devoted $210,900 to men’s basketball recruiting — almost double the amount at Hurley’s disposal.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
The billionaire leads six companies and doesn’t devote his full time or attention to the world’s most valuable automaker.
—Edward Ludlow, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
After leaving his post as the editor-in-chief of New York magazine, in 2019, Moss devoted himself to painting, but his ambition outstripped his ability.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
The first attempt at systematic enforcement was a five-month period in 1973, when, The New York Times reported, 25 inspectors were required to devote a week every month to doling out summonses at busy intersections.
—Erin Nolan, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024
The play follows Sonia (Pill) and her uncle Vanya (Carell), who have devoted their lives to managing the family farm in isolation.
—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
Senator Bernie Sanders has just recently started to devote energy to a campaign around just this in terms of Long COVID.
—Alissa Quart, TIME, 9 Apr. 2024
Persistent but unfounded beliefs even prompted NASA to devote a special page to debunking misconceptions about a solar eclipse.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 8 Apr. 2024
Joe Sevier, Bon Appétit, 19 Apr. 2024
On average, Pac-12 public universities devoted $210,900 to men’s basketball recruiting — almost double the amount at Hurley’s disposal.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
The billionaire leads six companies and doesn’t devote his full time or attention to the world’s most valuable automaker.
—Edward Ludlow, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
After leaving his post as the editor-in-chief of New York magazine, in 2019, Moss devoted himself to painting, but his ambition outstripped his ability.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
The first attempt at systematic enforcement was a five-month period in 1973, when, The New York Times reported, 25 inspectors were required to devote a week every month to doling out summonses at busy intersections.
—Erin Nolan, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024
The play follows Sonia (Pill) and her uncle Vanya (Carell), who have devoted their lives to managing the family farm in isolation.
—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
Senator Bernie Sanders has just recently started to devote energy to a campaign around just this in terms of Long COVID.
—Alissa Quart, TIME, 9 Apr. 2024
Persistent but unfounded beliefs even prompted NASA to devote a special page to debunking misconceptions about a solar eclipse.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'devote.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near devote
Cite this Entry
“Devote.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devote. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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