Meanings
present singular third person devotes · participle present devoting · participle past devoted · past devoted
- to give one's time, focus one's efforts, commit oneself, etc. entirely for, on, or to a certain matter; to consecrate.
They devoted their lives to following Jesus Christ.
3 more examples
I devoted this afternoon to repainting my study, and nothing will get in my way.
He is the Chief of this far Countrey; and to his service, carnal and wicked men devote themselves.
1678, Obadiah Grew, Meditations Upon Our Saviour's Parable of The Prodigal Sona leafless and simple branch […] devoted to the purpose of climbing
1879, Asa Gray, Botanical Text-book - to consign over; to doom
to devote one to destruction
1 more example
The city was devoted to the flames.
comparative more devote · superlative most devote
- obsoletedevoted; addicted; devout
A world devote to universal wrack
1667, John Milton, “(please specify the page number)”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
verbgive entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latindēvoveō“dedicate by a vow, sacrifice oneself, promise solemnly”
- Latindēvōtus
- Englishdevote
Borrowed from Latin dēvōtus, past participle of Latin dēvoveō (“dedicate by a vow, sacrifice oneself, promise solemnly”). Doublet of devow; see also devout. Displaced native Middle English ēstful, from Old English ēstful.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek καθιερόω
- καθιερόω (kathieróō)to commit for a certain matter
Arabic توفر على, صرف همته إلى
- توفر علىto commit for a certain matter
- صرف همته إلىto commit for a certain matter
Bulgarian посвещавам, отдавам
- посвещавам (posveštavam)to commit for a certain matter
- отдавам (otdavam)to commit for a certain matter
Catalan consagrar
- consagrarto commit for a certain matter
Czech zasvětit
- zasvětitto commit for a certain matter
Danish vie, hellige
- vieto commit for a certain matter
- helligeto commit for a certain matter
- tilegneto commit for a certain matter
Dutch wijden, toewijden
- wijdento commit for a certain matter
- toewijdento commit for a certain matter
Finnish omistaa, pyhittää
- omistaato commit for a certain matter
- pyhittääto commit for a certain matter
- omistautuato commit for a certain matter
French consacrer, vouer
- consacrerto commit for a certain matter
- vouerto commit for a certain matter
German widmen, verpflichten
- widmento commit for a certain matter
- verpflichtento commit for a certain matter
Greek αφιερώνω
- αφιερώνω (afieróno)to commit for a certain matter
Hebrew הקדיש
- הקדיש (hikdísh)to commit for a certain matter
Hungarian szán, áldoz
- szánto commit for a certain matter
- áldozto commit for a certain matter
- szentelto commit for a certain matter
Irish tabhair
- tabhairto commit for a certain matter
Japanese 凝る
- 凝る (koru)to commit for a certain matter
Latin addīcō, dēvoveō
- addīcōto commit for a certain matter
- dēvoveōto commit for a certain matter
Latvian veltīt
- veltītto commit for a certain matter
Māori whakaū, whakaihi
- whakaūto commit for a certain matter
- whakaihito commit for a certain matter
- kiriwhakaukato commit for a certain matter
Polish poświęcać, poświęcić
- poświęcaćto commit for a certain matter
- poświęcićto commit for a certain matter
- angażowaćto commit for a certain matter
- zaangażowaćto commit for a certain matter
Portuguese devotar
- devotarto commit for a certain matter
Russian посвяща́ть, посвяти́ть
- посвяща́ть (posvjaščátʹ)to commit for a certain matter
- посвяти́ть (posvjatítʹ)to commit for a certain matter
Scottish Gaelic coisrig
- coisrigto commit for a certain matter
Spanish devotar, abocarse
- devotarto commit for a certain matter
- abocarseto commit for a certain matter
- desvivirseto commit for a certain matter
Swedish hänge, ägna
- hängeto commit for a certain matter
- ägnato commit for a certain matter
Thai อุทิศ
- อุทิศ (ù-tít)to commit for a certain matter
Turkish adamak
- adamakto commit for a certain matter
Ukrainian присвя́чувати, приділя́ти
- присвя́чувати (prysvjáčuvaty)to commit for a certain matter
- приділя́ти (prydiljáty)to commit for a certain matter
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with devote
Cite this entry
devote. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/devote
“devote.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/devote. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “devote,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/devote.
Source: devote on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.