devout

adjective

de·​vout di-ˈvau̇t How to pronounce devout (audio)
1
: committed or devoted to religion or to religious duties or exercises
a devout Catholic
2
: expressing piety or religious fervor : expressing devotion
a devout attitude
3
a
: devoted to a pursuit, belief, or mode of behavior : serious, earnest
a devout baseball fan
born a devout cowardG. B. Shaw
b
: warmly sincere
a devout wish for peace
devoutly adverb
devoutness noun

Examples of devout in a Sentence

It is his devout wish to help people in need. devout Red Sox fans never lost faith during the long World Series drought
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Vance Boelter, the suspect in the attack, has been described as a devout Christian who has attended President Donald Trump’s campaign rallies, according to The Associated Press. Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 18 June 2025 Over the weekend, Elon Musk and others tried to paint the shooter as a violent leftist, but friends and former colleagues described Vance Boelter, who is charged in the killing, as a devout Christian and political conservative. Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025 Zahra Shams, 35, was a devout Muslim who wore the hijab by choice but vocally opposed its enforcement on others, even tweeting in support of the anti-hijab protests in 2022. Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 16 June 2025 The daughter of devout Catholics, Hortman grew up working in her father’s used auto-parts store in Blaine. Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 15 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for devout

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin devotus, from Latin, past participle of devovēre — see devote

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of devout was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Devout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devout. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

devout

adjective
de·​vout di-ˈvau̇t How to pronounce devout (audio)
1
: devoted to religion or to religious duties or exercises
2
: expressing devotion
a devout attitude
3
a
: devoted to an activity, belief, or type of behavior
a devout baseball fan
b
: earnest entry 2 sense 1, sincere
gave them devout thanks
devoutly adverb
devoutness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on devout

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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