devotion

play

noun de·vo·tion \di-ˈvō-shən, dē-\

Definition of devotion

1a : religious fervor : pietyb : an act of prayer or private worship —usually used in plural during his morning devotionsc : a religious exercise or practice other than the regular corporate (see corporate 2) worship of a congregation
2a : the act of dedicating something to a cause, enterprise, or activity : the act of devoting the devotion of a great deal of time and energyb : 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

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
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
Burnley and Browning understand people's devotion to their pets, and own dogs themselves.

— tessa weinberg, The Courier-Journal, "A $60 luxury lounge - for your dog? Yup, you can do that in Louisville," 28 June 2017
Good food, not religious devotion, was foremost on the chef’s mind when his Mid-course Hospitality Group partnered with businessmen Avi Heyman and Daniel Uretsky.

— patric kuh, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Orthodox Community’s Go-To Cool Sandwich Shop," 27 June 2017
The outstanding heroism and selfless devotion to duty displayed by Colonel Yuill earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor Citation.

— star-telegram, star-telegram.com, "Patriotism and Pride: East Parker County Chamber welcomes special guest speaker," 20 June 2017
But the glint wore off starting around the fallout from a War of the Worlds press tour, which exposed his occasional maniacal behavior and devotion to Scientology.

— jake kring-schreifels, Esquire, "How Tom Cruise Rebranded Himself Into Our Most Reliable Action Hero," 10 June 2017
Sinnott-Snooks said that devotion was instilled by the Italian family's patriarch, Guy DeMicco.

— donna vickroy, Daily Southtown, "Alsip sisters devoted in life, found embraced in death," 10 June 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

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

play

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

play

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