consecrate

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb consecrate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of consecrate are dedicate, devote, and hallow. While all these words mean "to set apart for a special and often higher end," consecrate stresses investment with a solemn or sacred quality.

consecrate a church to the worship of God

When can dedicate be used instead of consecrate?

While the synonyms dedicate and consecrate are close in meaning, dedicate implies solemn and exclusive devotion to a sacred or serious use or purpose.

dedicated her life to medical research

When would devote be a good substitute for consecrate?

The meanings of devote and consecrate largely overlap; however, devote is likely to imply compelling motives and often attachment to an objective.

devoted his evenings to study

When is it sensible to use hallow instead of consecrate?

In some situations, the words hallow and consecrate are roughly equivalent. However, 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 consecrate
Adjective
Lana Del Rey doesn’t toy with signs—of American glamour and its decay, of female melancholia and racial desire—so much as consecrate them. Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2023
Verb
Later that evening, Rocky himself made an appearance, effectively consecrating his own corner of the fair and Design.Space as a whole. Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025 Bergoglio was consecrated into the priesthood as a Jesuit, a religious order explicitly averse to moving up within the ranks of the church hierarchy. Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for consecrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for consecrate
Adjective
  • Earlier this year, proof of an ancient garden was found at the holiest site in Christianity, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • And where the original Hollow Knight sent you plunging into the black depths of Hallownest, Silksong drives Hornet upward, scaling Pharloom alongside a procession of bug-like pilgrims, all drawn to the looming holy Citadel above.
    Keller Gordon, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Kirk’s zeal caught the attention of Bill Montgomery, a businessman and Tea Party activist, who urged him to forgo college and dedicate himself fully to political organizing.
    Eric Cortellessa, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The architecture of the building, which was dedicated in 1973 and designated as a National Shrine in 2000, also holds meaning.
    Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • And may God bless the United States of America.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
  • It is blessed with a huge territory, a dynamic economy and the strategic luxury of large oceans on its east and west and much smaller powers to its north and south.
    John Rennie Short, The Conversation, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Afterwards, a group of early humans buried her in an ancient, sacred place along a lakeshore.
    Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The Seoul portion of the tour begins with a hike along Inwangsan Mountain Trail, a sacred shamanic site, then continues into the city’s historic heart.
    Emese Maczko, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Budd, a Democrat representing House District 103 in south Mecklenburg County, outlined a four-part plan during a news conference Monday that would devote more resources toward law enforcement, courts and state health care infrastructure.
    Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Courtney has devoted her career to fighting for individuals in high-stakes disputes against financial institutions, achieving landmark victories.
    William Jones, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • But there is more: a little way back from the water, knuckle-like boulders of sandstone or some other friable rock sharpen the ambience of a consecrated space.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Churches are fine, but consecrated Earth is dangerous to them.
    Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 June 2025
Verb
  • Her efforts saved the animal’s life and landed her in her hometown newspaper, The Mountain Eagle, which was the first to write about the dramatic rescue and resuscitation.
    Michael Collins, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • These annual gifts can also reduce the size of your taxable estate, saving more of your lifetime exemption for future inheritances.
    Nathalie Goldstein, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Consecrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consecrate. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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