devotion

noun de·vo·tion \ di-ˈvō-shən , dē- \

|Updated on: 7 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: devotion in a Sentence

Editor's Note: devotion Has Latin Roots

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

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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

Both are devoted to Lampy, but their devotion is no consolation for his previous girlfriend having left him, nor for his ambivalence about his current girlfriend.

— margot livesey, BostonGlobe.com, "Braiding lives of a Syrian refugee, a failed 23-year-old, and elderly accountant," 13 July 2018
An obsession with hierarchy does not make a person a totalitarian, just as a devotion to proto-eugenic thinking combined with a rigid religious morality does not make a person a Nazi.

— laurie penny, Longreads, "Peterson’s Complaint," 12 July 2018
Meisten had a youthful enthusiasm for living and learning, exceeded only by his love and devotion to his wife, family, and many dear friends, according to family.

— sheila vilvens, Cincinnati.com, "Remembering the FBI agent in charge of investigation into Reagan assassination attempt," 11 July 2018
No missive expressing devotion to a Republican president is complete without an exclamation point and a nod to the late, great Justice Antonin Scalia.

— cristian farias, Daily Intelligencer, "In Kavanaugh, Trump Found Another Judge Who Will Kiss the Ring," 10 July 2018
The country is known for the devotion of its soccer fans.

— michelle theriault boots, Anchorage Daily News, "For Anchorage’s soccer-mad Colombians, World Cup time means new connections — and parties," 4 July 2018
Even more extraordinary than those sales figures is the devotion of Mr. Pape’s followers.

— amelia lester, New York Times, "Australians Can’t Get Enough of the Barefoot Investor," 29 June 2018
The people who are speaking up for the people who are hurting have a deep love and devotion for our country.

— Washington Post, "Seahawks’ Baldwin says NFL “really missed it” with policy," 24 May 2018
O’Neill might be a womanizing boor but his devotion to his job—and to thwarting attacks on the U.S.—is unmistakable.

— sophie gilbert, The Atlantic, "The Gripping History of The Looming Tower," 1 Mar. 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

devotion Synonyms

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