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devote

verb
de·​vote | \ di-ˈvōt How to pronounce devote (audio) , dē-\
devoted; devoting

Definition of devote

transitive verb

1 : to commit by a solemn act devoted herself to serving God
2 : to give over or direct (time, money, effort, etc.) to a cause, enterprise, or activity Part of the lecture was devoted to taking questions from the audience. She devoted her life to public service.
Other Words from devote Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about devote

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Other Words from devote

devotement \ di-​ˈvōt-​mənt How to pronounce devotement (audio) , dē-​ \ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for devote

devote, dedicate, consecrate, hallow 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 dedicate implies solemn and exclusive devotion to a sacred or serious use or purpose. dedicated her life to medical research consecrate stresses investment with a solemn or sacred quality. consecrate a church to the worship of God hallow, often differing little from dedicate or consecrate, may distinctively imply an attribution of intrinsic sanctity. battlegrounds hallowed by the blood of patriots

Examples of devote in a Sentence

I conscientiously devote several hours every weekend to playing with my dog. planning a diplomatic career, she's been intensely devoting herself to the study of foreign languages in college

Recent Examples on the Web

 The case had divided people in her village of some 5,000 people, with Facebook pages devoted to it and some critics trying to record the Richardson family's comings and goings to post on social media. — Fox News, "Ohio mom, 20, acquitted of killing newborn, convicted of corpse abuse," 12 Sep. 2019 National Review, the conservative journal Buckley founded in 1955, tried to knock Donald Trump out in January 2016 with an issue devoted to attacking the birther-espousing, anti-immigrant candidate. — oregonlive, "‘Inadequacy of citizens,’ as well as Donald Trump and the internet, are killing democracy, warns academic analysis," 9 Sep. 2019 Hello, and welcome to Replay, WIRED’s column devoted to bringing you the biggest gaming headlines of the week in a quick, snappy format. — Wired, "Super Nintendo Games Now, Finally, Available on Switch," 6 Sep. 2019 When printed, Amazon’s delivery driver onboarding course from late 2017 is 39 pages, with less than half of one page devoted to defensive driving. — Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, "How Amazon Hooked America on Fast Delivery While Avoiding Responsibility for Crashes," 5 Sep. 2019 The research team has an entire Web page devoted to its seismic recordings of the natural resonances (vibrations) that come out of the Utah arches. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Popular Utah rock-climbing spot vibrates in time with earth, wind, and waves," 27 Aug. 2019 Much of the land devoted to parking lots in today’s cities could be converted to parks, housing or commercial spaces, and reducing curb parking could allow for wider bike lanes or sidewalks. — Constantine Samaras, The Conversation, "Bargain-hunting robocars could spell the end for downtown parking – cities need to plan ahead now," 23 Aug. 2019 ZeroHero, as it’s called, would be a section—heck, maybe a whole aisle—of big-box stores devoted to zero-waste products. — Rowan Jacobsen, Outside Online, "An Ocean Plastics Field Trip for Corporate Executives," 8 Aug. 2019 The vote also prompted a discussion about measuring city staff time, since Pietig mentioned an alternative to the additional cost recovery fee would be to bill the Laguna Beach Co. for all staff hours devoted to the projects. — Daily Pilot, "Laguna Beach to recover all of its costs related to processing a slew of major developments," 7 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'devote.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of devote

1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for devote

Latin devotus, past participle of devovēre, from de- + vovēre to vow

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More Definitions for devote

devote

verb
de·​vote | \ di-ˈvōt How to pronounce devote (audio) \
devoted; devoting

Kids Definition of devote

1 : to set apart for a special purpose The land was devoted to wildlife preservation.
2 : to give up to entirely or in part He devoted himself to finding a cure.

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