Definition of consecratenext

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
The vessels themselves are inspired by the Catholic ritual of Olea Sancta (Holy Oils), the three sacred oils used in sacraments and blessings and consecrated during the annual Chrism Mass in Holy Week. Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026 Many Pentecostals, for example, fast for a period in January to consecrate the year ahead. ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for consecrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for consecrate
Adjective
  • There are flag sweaters and skate sneakers and prairie skirts; there are Cheyanne moccasins and Mennonite bonnets and the not-quite-holy Yankees baseball cap.
    Faran Krentcil, InStyle, 1 July 2026
  • The devil invades a Georgetown home, and holy men have quite the job to do on a demonic little girl.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • As America celebrates its 250th birthday, the National World War I Museum and Memorial is celebrating a milestone of its own — 100 years since President Calvin Coolidge dedicated the signature limestone tower memorial in the heart of Kansas City.
    Matthew Kelly July 1, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026
  • Then dedicate time to defining your internal stakeholders and regularly engaging with them on the work taking place.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • He has been blessed with terrific talent but clearly has melded that talent to win games and keep the clubhouse on the same page.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • Despite his age, Messi is still blessed with breathtaking skill, and is also fiercely competitive, even at training.
    Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
Adjective
  • His larger diagnosis is that the division machine has made every disagreement existential — and that once a political difference becomes sacred, people will rationalize almost anything to defeat the other side.
    Afdhel Aziz, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • But over time, and as reverence for the Revolutionary War generation grew, the political parties sought to prove themselves the truest guardians of the founding principles, transforming it from an argument for independence into a sacred document.
    Theodore R. Johnson, Washington Post, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • Historians have devoted enormous attention to the collapse of the royal courts, the creation of state judiciaries, the drafting of new constitutions, and the construction of the legal institutions of the new republic.
    Joseph Andrew, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
  • The North Dakota library, located near the national park gateway town of Medora, devotes a number of exhibits to Roosevelt’s commitment to protecting America’s vanishing wildlands and wild animals.
    Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 2 July 2026
Adjective
  • But beyond these consecrated walls, continuity may depend as much on action as faith.
    Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 21 June 2026
  • The consecrated land is leased in perpetuity to the British Royal Navy, who participate in an annual ceremony to commemorate the lives lost.
    Caroline Eubanks, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Consecrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consecrate. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

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