consecrate

14 synonyms and 8 antonyms for consecrate, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — To declare something sacred through a formal or religious ceremony.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

saint dedicated

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

bless dedicate martyr consecrated

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

avow behallow canonize hallow inaugurate sacralize sacrate sanctify

Synonyms by Meaning

1. verb

To declare something sacred through a formal or religious ceremony.

“The bishop consecrated the new chapel on Sunday morning.”

avow behallow bless canonize dedicate hallow inaugurate martyr sacralize sacrate saint sanctify

Opposites

deconsecrate desacralize desecrate profane uncanonize unbless unhallow unsaint

2. adjective

Made sacred; set apart for a holy purpose.

“Only consecrated wine is used in the ceremony.”

dedicated consecrated

How to use consecrate

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

consecrate a church consecrate a bishop consecrated ground

Etymology

From Latin consecrare, "to make completely sacred" — con- ("thoroughly") plus sacrare ("to hallow"), the same root as "sacred."

Full origin of consecrate →

Frequently asked questions

What does “consecrate” mean?

The word “consecrate” means to declare something sacred through a formal or religious ceremony. In plain terms, to make something officially holy or to fully dedicate yourself to something important.

How do you pronounce “consecrate”?

“Consecrate” is pronounced KON-suhk-rayt (/ˈkɑnsəkɹeɪt/ in IPA).

How do you use “consecrate” in a sentence?

Here is “consecrate” used in a sentence: “The bishop consecrated the new chapel on Sunday morning.”

What is another word for “consecrate”?

Words with a similar meaning to “consecrate” include avow, behallow, bless, canonize, dedicate and hallow.

What is the opposite of “consecrate”?

The opposite of “consecrate” — its antonyms — are deconsecrate, desacralize, desecrate, profane and uncanonize.

What part of speech is “consecrate”?

Depending on how it is used, “consecrate” can be a verb and an adjective.

Where does the word “consecrate” come from?

The word “consecrate” comes from Latin. From Latin consecrare, "to make completely sacred" — con- ("thoroughly") plus sacrare ("to hallow"), the same root as "sacred.".

How many meanings does “consecrate” have?

“Consecrate” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to declare something sacred through a formal or religious ceremony.

People also searched

saint dedicated bless dedicate martyr consecrated unbless desacralize sacrate canonize behallow profane

Nearby words

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