as in to devote
to keep or intend for a special purpose a young attorney who has decided to dedicate her career to helping the poor receive justice

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How does the verb dedicate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dedicate are consecrate, devote, and hallow. While all these words mean "to set apart for a special and often higher end," dedicate implies solemn and exclusive devotion to a sacred or serious use or purpose.

dedicated her life to medical research

Where would consecrate be a reasonable alternative to dedicate?

The synonyms consecrate and dedicate are sometimes interchangeable, but consecrate stresses investment with a solemn or sacred quality.

consecrate a church to the worship of God

When might devote be a better fit than dedicate?

Although the words devote and dedicate have much in common, devote is likely to imply compelling motives and often attachment to an objective.

devoted his evenings to study

In what contexts can hallow take the place of dedicate?

While in some cases nearly identical to dedicate, hallow, often differing little from dedicate or consecrate, may distinctively imply an attribution of intrinsic sanctity.

battlegrounds hallowed by the blood of patriots

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of dedicate Brown dedicated her new book to Woolley. Carson Blackwelder, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025 Aurora officials said that Olivas, a longtime community member who currently serves as vice president of the East Aurora School District 131 Board of Education, has dedicated his life to education, equity and community service. Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025 Ball said the board has dedicated hours doing research, reaching out to towns that already have a Buc-ee’s to ask about the pros and cons. Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 30 Aug. 2025 The former tennis player has dedicated years to researching fitness, training and recovery methods across sports and has worked with athletes from the NBA, MLB, US women’s national soccer team (USWNT) and WTA and ATP Tours. Julia Andersen, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dedicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dedicate
Verb
  • Many CEOs will have no choice but to devote their efforts to guessing, interpreting and trying to influence what the president wants, rather than toiling on behalf of their shareholders and customers.
    Senior Fellow, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Pollsters didn’t devote much attention to mail voting again until the mid-1990s, around the time Oregon considered and adopted a universal vote by mail.
    Karlyn Bowman, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The two wanted the Power of Veto winner to use the ability to keep Panaro, but instead, the winner saved themselves.
    Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 4 Sep. 2025
  • For engineers and designers, this framework is like giving a GPS map through the complex terrain of foam design—saving months of trial-and-error testing.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dedicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dedicate. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.

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