devotion

noun de·vo·tion \ di-ˈvō-shən , dē- \

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

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

The family would like to thank Jane's caregiver and friend, Esme Hemans, for her loving care and devotion.

— hartford courant, courant.com, "Jane M. Doucette," 13 Apr. 2018
The problem with the Bush administration, by his diagnosis, was not a neglect of middle-class interests in favor of laissez-faire but an excessive indulgence of big government, and insufficient devotion to dismantling the welfare state.

— dylan matthews, Vox, "Paul Ryan paved the way for Trump’s takeover of the Republican Party," 11 Apr. 2018
Kumse's devotion to his parish, his neighborhood and the city of Cleveland offers a compelling lesson in leadership.

— phillip morris, cleveland.com, "Priest nearly killed in ambush robbery still bullish on Collinwood: Phillip Morris," 8 Apr. 2018
Cleansers weren’t deserving of discussion, never mind devotion — for good reason.

— jolene edgar, Allure, "Why Face Wash Is the Fastest Growing Skin-Care Category," 3 Apr. 2018
Boyd-Panciera Hollywood Blvd Chapel 954-989-9900 After almost ninety-five years of enriching our lives with his unique sense of humor and devotion to family and friends, Marty peacefully moved on to spread his warmth and cheer elsewhere.

— Sun-Sentinel.com, "Deaths in South Florida: 4/3," 3 Apr. 2018
Evangelical Christians had their political views, but for the most part did not treat those views primarily as matters of faith, and concentrated instead on individual devotion to God and evangelism.

— barton swaim, WSJ, "In the Beginning Was the Word," 30 Mar. 2018
One of my favorite things about Joanna is her unwavering devotion to classic design elements (subway tile and shiplap, for instance) and and her ability to experiment without straying too far from her signature style.

— jessica leigh mattern, Country Living, "10 Things I Learned When I Took a Design Workshop with Joanna Gaines," 6 Mar. 2018
There were scores of other episodes on the campaign trail that suggested Trump didn’t feel deep devotion for the rule of law.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Trump’s rejection of due process for gun owners points to his disdain for the rule of law," 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