devote

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb devote contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of devote are consecrate, dedicate, and hallow. While all these words mean "to set apart for a special and often higher end," devote is likely to imply compelling motives and often attachment to an objective.

devoted his evenings to study

When is it sensible to use consecrate instead of devote?

The words consecrate and devote are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, consecrate stresses investment with a solemn or sacred quality.

consecrate a church to the worship of God

When could dedicate be used to replace devote?

While in some cases nearly identical to devote, dedicate implies solemn and exclusive devotion to a sacred or serious use or purpose.

dedicated her life to medical research

When would hallow be a good substitute for devote?

Although the words hallow and devote have much in common, 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 devote The 10th District is hardly the only battleground where Republicans must devote substantial resources. David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 22 Sep. 2025 Kirk briefly attended community college in Illinois but dropped out to devote himself full-time to conservative activism. John Wisely, Freep.com, 22 Sep. 2025 In early 1821, the first work of theater devoted entirely to Christophe’s rise and fall, Christophe, King of Hayti, was performed onstage at London’s Royal Coburg Theatre. Marlene L. Daut september 22, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025 The current system devotes far more resources to responding to illness than to preventing it. Theresa McDonnell, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for devote
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devote
Verb
  • Among her more significant findings were the discovery in 2006 of foundation plates dedicating the temple to Isis, along with royal artifacts and many coins bearing Cleopatra's likeness.
    Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
  • The $25 million project, named Union at Rose Park, will dedicate most of its units to low-income renters.
    Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Currently, the federal government is not accepting new applications for the program because of federal court rulings, though individuals already in the program may apply for renewals.
    Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Alibaba said it could be applied in areas such as smart glasses and intelligent cockpits.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Winged munition autonomously detects moving targets Raytheon also highlighted that the StormBreaker smart weapon gives operators an upper hand in combat by hitting moving targets in some of the worst weather conditions.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Officials did not give any details on the man’s medical condition.
    ABC News, ABC News, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Republican Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters is resigning to lead a new conservative organization committed to opposing teachers' unions.
    Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Poulsen has not committed to invoking Article 4 yet.
    Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Kelly spent about an hour answering questions from students.
    Amy DeLaura, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2025
  • In addition to the Reddit account, the Steam profile appearing to belong to Jahn pointed to the life of an avid gamer, with over 10,000 hours spent playing games like Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead 2, and Rust.
    Jack Moore, ABC News, 25 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Devote.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devote. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

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