devotion

noun de·vo·tion \ di-ˈvō-shən , dē- \

Definition of devotion

1 a :religious fervor :piety

b :an act of prayer or private worship —usually used in plural

during his morning devotions

c :a religious exercise or practice other than the regular corporate (see corporate 2) worship of a congregation

2 a :the act of dedicating something to a cause, enterprise, or activity :the act of devoting

the devotion of a great deal of time and energy

b :the fact or state of being ardently dedicated and loyal

her devotion to the cause

filial devotion

3 obsolete :the object of one's devotion

See devotion defined for English-language learners

See devotion defined for kids

devotion was our Word of the Day on 08/07/2016. Hear the podcast!

Examples of devotion in a Sentence

She has cared for the poor with selfless devotion.
The devotion they felt for each other was obvious.
The project will require the devotion of a great deal of time and money.
They spend an hour each morning at their devotions.

Recent Examples of devotion from the Web

Many shun the violence-prone neighborhoods, but these middle-age adults wear a devotion to a higher calling.

— carole carlson, Post-Tribune, "Seeking divine intervention in Gary's violent streets," 26 Aug. 2017
Although today many of us are aware that Jackie worked as a book editor in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s, the extent of her commitment—and her devotion to the world of books—is not as well known.

— nancy bilyeau, Town & Country, "How Jackie Kennedy Became a Powerful Book Editor After Leaving the White House," 18 Aug. 2017
But his parents’ devotion to his talent was boundless.

— lizette alvarez, New York Times, "Where All the School’s a Stage, and the List of Success Stories Is Long," 1 Aug. 2017
Where: Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 2050 Entertainment Circle, Chula Vista Tickets: $29.50-$99.50 (plus service charges) Phone: 800.745.3000 But Thomas leaves no doubt about his devotion to Matchbox Twenty.

— george varga, Pacific San Diego Magazine, "Rob Thomas talks Matchbox Twenty, solo career and being ‘complete idiots’," 26 July 2017
During daily devotion, Staten recalled, the boys were always eager to share their favorite Bible verses.

— kristina goetz, The Courier-Journal, "Orphans come back to ‘The Home’ that took them in when no one else could," 20 July 2017
Her devotion to them was her lone sympathetic quality.

— jeremy egner, The Seattle Times, "As ‘Game of Thrones’ returns, here’s where we left off," 14 July 2017
In each case, the brothers followed a similar arc: devotion followed by rapid disillusionment and a dramatic rupture.

— benjamin wallace, Daily Intelligencer, "The Culthopping Twins Who Have Been Evangelicals, Rappers, and Digital Nomads," 12 July 2017
Thatcher’s pragmatism can also be seen in her devotion to diplomacy.

— rupert stone, National Review, "Margaret Thatcher: High Principle Joined to Power Politics," 5 July 2017

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

devotion Has Latin Roots

When we take a vow, we pledge our devotion—whether to remain true to a partner, to uphold the law, or to honor the word of God. It should be no surprise then that devotion and its related verb devote come from the act of taking a vow. Both words originate from Latin devotus, which is the past participle of devovēre, a union of the prefix de- ("from") and the verb vovēre ("to vow"). Devote was once used as an adjective that could mean either "devout" or "devoted." While devout often connotes faithfulness of a religious nature, the adjective devoted conveys the sense of one's commitment to another through love and loyalty ("a devoted husband and father"; "the singer's devoted fans").

Origin and Etymology of devotion

see devote

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

devotion Synonyms

Synonyms

affection, attachment, devotedness, love, fondness, passion

Antonyms

abomination, hate, hatred, loathing, rancor

Related Words

appetite, fancy, favor, like, liking, partiality, preference, relish, taste; craving, crush, desire, infatuation, longing, lust, yearning; ardor, eagerness, enthusiasm, fervor, zeal; appreciation, esteem, estimation, regard, respect; adoration, adulation, deification, idolatry, idolization, worship; allegiance, faithfulness, fealty, fidelity, loyalty, steadfastness

Near Antonyms

allergy, animosity, antagonism, antipathy, aversion, disfavor, dislike, enmity, hostility; abhorrence, disgust, repugnance, repulsion, revulsion; misanthropy

Synonym Discussion of devotion

fidelity, allegiance, fealty, loyalty, devotion, piety mean faithfulness to something to which one is bound by pledge or duty. fidelity implies strict and continuing faithfulness to an obligation, trust, or duty.

- marital fidelity

allegiance suggests an adherence like that of citizens to their country.

- pledging allegiance

fealty implies a fidelity acknowledged by the individual and as compelling as a sworn vow.

- fealty to the truth

loyalty implies a faithfulness that is steadfast in the face of any temptation to renounce, desert, or betray.

- valued the loyalty of his friends

devotion stresses zeal and service amounting to self-dedication.

- a painter's devotion to her art

piety stresses fidelity to obligations regarded as natural and fundamental.

- filial piety

Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms

Zen, antinomian, avatar, gnosticism, illuminati, ineffable, karma, koan, mantra

DEVOTION Defined for English Language Learners

devotion

noun

Definition of devotion for English Language Learners

: a feeling of strong love or loyalty : the quality of being devoted
: the use of time, money, energy, etc., for a particular purpose
devotions : prayer, worship, or other religious activities that are done in private rather than in a religious service

DEVOTION Defined for Kids

devotion

noun de·vo·tion \ di-ˈvō-shən \

Definition of devotion for Students

1 :deep love or loyalty

2 :an act of giving (as effort or time) to something

His devotion of many hours of work was rewarded.

3 :a religious exercise or practice (as prayers) especially that is private

Learn More about devotion

See words that rhyme with devotion Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for devotion Spanish Central: Translation of devotion Nglish: Translation of devotion for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of devotion for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about devotion

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devotion

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devotion was our Word of the Day on 08/07/2016. Hear the podcast!

Examples of devotion in a Sentence

Recent Examples of devotion from the Web

devotion Has Latin Roots

Origin and Etymology of devotion

devotion Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of devotion

Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms

DEVOTION Defined for English Language Learners

devotion

Definition of devotion for English Language Learners

DEVOTION Defined for Kids

devotion

Definition of devotion for Students

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