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
  • Acutis' canonization marks a deliberate Vatican effort to present contemporary, relatable holy figures who can speak to younger generations about faith lived in the digital age.
    Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Shops sell his memorabilia — the boy's face encased in a corona of holy light is on mugs, keychains, rosaries.
    Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Founded in 2001, Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation.
    Angelique Jackson, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Bessemer dedicates months to gathering, validating, and examining submission data that forms the foundation of The Cloud 100.
    Bessemer Venture Partners, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • If instead the corporation digs in, further empowering the unwitting wreckers and saboteurs — well, bless their hearts.
    Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
  • God bless, and God save the wrist.
    Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Black people and Black Mormons were barred from sacred buildings, temples and practices until 1978.
    Suzette Hackney, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
  • In France, August is sacred for summer holidays; in the UK or US, late-night calls are normal.
    Nathanael Bondu, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025
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
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
  • 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Consecrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consecrate. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on consecrate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!