Definition of dedicatenext
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 Retailers from Macy’s to Bloomingdale’s also dedicated in-store shops to the category. Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 21 July 2026 The 70/20/10 money rule is a simple budget split that dedicates 70% of your income to living expenses, 20% to savings and 10% to debt payments. Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 21 July 2026 The ballot measure dedicated $267 million of local sales tax revenues to the Project. Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 20 July 2026 Flexible payload options Instead of dedicating Thunder to a single role, Anduril built the aircraft around interchangeable payload bays. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for dedicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dedicate
Verb
  • For the past five years, Sapan has devoted much of his time to championing disability on screen through founding Marvels of Media Festival with the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI), which celebrates the work of autistic media makers.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 25 July 2026
  • Interestingly, pop remains one of the only major genres without its own streaming tally, and for many years, there was no sales ranking devoted specifically to that style either.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Verb
  • And maybe England’s national team did save all of its fans who made it to the match.
    Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 19 July 2026
  • Spain had a chance to end it int he 98th minute with a free kick just outside the penalty box, but Martínez saved that one as well.
    Tom Tapp, Deadline, 19 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Dedicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dedicate. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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