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
  • The tenth and final day of the High Holidays, Yom Kippur is the holiest Jewish holiday of the year.
    Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
  • The Manchester police were calling on people to stay inside and avoid the area, but that message was not reaching the community deep in prayer on this holiest of days.
    Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • There have been cautionary tales on that front in the past, with the Cup-less Leafs dedicating 50 percent of their cap to their Core Four in the flat-cap era standing out as one good (or bad) example.
    James Mirtle, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Moody has been dedicating her practice to helping clients navigate the AI space and counsels nearly a dozen generative voice and audio AI companies.
    Claudia Rosenbaum, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • God blessed me with 7 beautiful children—3 sons and 4 daughters.
    Lauren del Valle, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
  • On Thursday, Aryatara will bless the president and supporters.
    Kirsty Hatcher, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • To share that sacred experience with your mother, sister, aunt, grandmother and great-grandmother?
    Essence, Essence, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Millions of people around the world today are observing Yom Kippur, the most sacred holiday in the Jewish faith.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Late in The Gales of November, Bacon — who’s written books on leadership and college football, among other topics — devotes two chapters to Lightfoot’s epic ballad.
    John U. Bacon, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Michaels is devoting about 25% of space in its stores to this new venture while also launching a party concept.
    Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 30 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
  • Blood is always poised and ready to clot, because the body sees this as a life-saving mechanism.
    Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Is intuitive budgeting effective for saving money?
    Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Consecrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consecrate. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on consecrate

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