devotion

noun de·vo·tion \ di-ˈvō-shən , dē- \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 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

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

Monique Fiso is a young chef of Maori heritage who is becoming famous in New Zealand for her exploration of local wild plants and her devotion to traditional hangi.

— jonathan gold, latimes.com, "Jonathan Gold's top dishes from 31 days of great chefs around L.A.? Potatoes cooked in earth," 8 June 2018
Although known for being soft-spoken and private, and possessing a great sense of humor, his devotion to family and good friends was unmatched.

— courant.com, "Robert W. Allen," 6 June 2018
No one blinked at my ringlets, not even my husband, who’s all too familiar with my straight-hair devotion.

— patricia reynoso, Glamour, "Embracing My Latina Roots Redefined What 'Pelo Bueno' Means to Me," 1 June 2018
Maybe, to you, there are other, more important ways to demonstrate your devotion than fidelity.

— cari romm, The Cut, "How to Ask Your Partner for an Open Relationship," 1 June 2018
Click here to read about the source of her devotion.

— the healthyish team, Bon Appetit, "The Healthyish Guide to Finally Getting a Good Night's Sleep," 29 May 2018
Some of Detroit’s narrative shortcomings are no doubt a result of its extreme devotion to player choice.

— kyle orland, Ars Technica, "Detroit: Become Human review: Robotic in all of the wrong ways," 24 May 2018
Funds came in slowly at first but soared over the weekend as people learned more about Tisdale and her devotion to her husband.

— doug criss, CNN, "The Santa Fe shooting victim worked two jobs to take care of her ill husband. Her death may end up saving his life," 21 May 2018
Still, no one who shares my devotion to official transparency and deliberative democracy can be satisfied.

— joseph margulies, Time, "Gina Haspel Ran the CIA Site Where My Client Had Been Tortured. Her Testimony Changed My Opinion of Her," 10 May 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