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 CISOs should also consider dedicating a portion of learning and development budgets to continuous technical education. Josh Lemos, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025 Overall, France plans to dedicate €1 billion to SMRs by 2030, positioning itself as a key player in Europe’s nuclear Renaissance. Anna Heim, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025 The Law & Order channel is the first FAST outlet dedicated solely to the series, and also the first one NBCUniversal has rolled out a FAST channel on multiple platforms at once. Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025 His disastrous Newsnight interview made people turn on him, and even a new biography about him and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, dedicated plenty of space to the relationship. Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dedicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dedicate
Verb
  • The Bureau of Labor Statistics calculated, based on 2023 data, that older adults devote a higher share of spending than the general population to groceries, housing, utilities and health care.
    Susan Tompor, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Police departments, including Crockett’s local Dallas Police Department, often devote resources to crime prevention.
    Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 9 Sep. 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

“Dedicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dedicate. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

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