devotion

noun
de·​vo·​tion | \ di-ˈvō-shən How to pronounce devotion (audio) , dē- \

Definition of devotion

1a : religious fervor : piety
b : an act of prayer or private worship usually used in pluralduring his morning devotions
c : a religious exercise or practice other than the regular corporate (see corporate sense 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 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

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Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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").

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.
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Recent Examples on the Web The dominant reaction in Washington to the latter news has been nothing short of a panicked devotion to the status quo. Jacob Silverman, The New Republic, "Ending the Forever Wars, by Any Means Necessary," 19 Nov. 2020 Ren tried to distinguish his company by maintaining a fanatical devotion to customer service. Steven Levy, Wired, "Huawei, 5G, and the Man Who Conquered Noise," 16 Nov. 2020 In his book, Chris recounts the club’s decades of devotion to paddling as a leisure pursuit and a sport. Washington Post, "A new book paddles through the history of canoeing in Washington," 16 Nov. 2020 Once known as a landing spot for old-school men who played and scouted the game, the baseball front office has become the province of fresh-out-of-college types with expertise in analytics and a devotion to numbers. Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, "In a man’s world, Kim Ng carves a baseball breakthrough as Marlins’ new GM," 13 Nov. 2020 French President Emmanuel Macron delivered an emotional tribute to Paty — a mix of gratitude for the slain teacher, defiance in the face of violence and, once again, a devotion to laïcité. NBC News, "France has long embraced secularism. After beheading, will it be used to oppress?," 22 Oct. 2020 His ability to generate enormous power with the appearance of minimal strain is both an art and a mark of personality, of a devotion and a humility that Hollywood values even less for its authenticity, its sincerity. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, "The Lived-In Grace of Chadwick Boseman," 29 Aug. 2020 This was fine with Cesare, who had inherited all of his father’s libertine qualities and none of his religious devotion. Anne Thériault, Longreads, "Queens of Infamy: Lucrezia Borgia," 28 May 2020 The least showy person on earth, this Elizabeth is nevertheless one of the most famous women in the world, and the Netflix series made Elizabeth’s plain, stubborn devotion to doing what royal tradition dictates seem oddly heroic. oregonlive, "‘The Crown’ returns in top form, as Princess Diana and Margaret Thatcher enter the royal realm (review)," 10 Nov. 2020

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.

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First Known Use of devotion

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for devotion

see devote

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Time Traveler for devotion

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The first known use of devotion was in the 13th century

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Statistics for devotion

Last Updated

2 Dec 2020

Cite this Entry

“Devotion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devotion. Accessed 12 Dec. 2020.

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More Definitions for devotion

devotion

noun
How to pronounce devotion (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of devotion

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

devotion

noun
de·​vo·​tion | \ di-ˈvō-shən How to pronounce devotion (audio) \

Kids Definition of devotion

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

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Comments on devotion

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