dedicate

7 synonyms and 1 antonym for dedicate, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — To commit oneself or one's time fully to a particular purpose or cause.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

commit give

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

devote

Rare, literary or technical

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

consecrate behallow hallow earmark

Synonyms by Meaning

1. verb

To commit oneself or one's time fully to a particular purpose or cause.

“She dedicated her career to helping underprivileged children.”

consecrate devote commit give behallow hallow earmark

2. verb

To formally open a building or set something apart for a special use, often with ceremony.

“The new library wing was dedicated to the town's founder.”

Opposites

desecrate

How to use dedicate

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

dedicate to a cause dedicate a book dedicate one's life

Etymology

From Middle English dedicaten, from Latin dēdicātus, the past participle of dēdicāre ("to proclaim, dedicate").

Full origin of dedicate →

Frequently asked questions

What does “dedicate” mean?

The word “dedicate” means to commit oneself or one's time fully to a particular purpose or cause. In plain terms, to devote yourself, or something, fully to a purpose, person, or cause.

How do you pronounce “dedicate”?

“Dedicate” is pronounced DEH-dih-kayt (/ˈdɛdɪˌkeɪt/ in IPA).

How do you use “dedicate” in a sentence?

Here is “dedicate” used in a sentence: “She dedicated her career to helping underprivileged children.”

What is another word for “dedicate”?

Words with a similar meaning to “dedicate” include behallow, hallow and earmark.

What part of speech is “dedicate”?

“Dedicate” is a verb.

Where does the word “dedicate” come from?

The word “dedicate” comes from Latin. From Middle English dedicaten, from Latin dēdicātus, the past participle of dēdicāre ("to proclaim, dedicate").

Is “dedicate” a common word?

“Dedicate” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

How many meanings does “dedicate” have?

“Dedicate” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to commit oneself or one's time fully to a particular purpose or cause.

People also searched

give commit devote behallow earmark consecrate desecrate hallow

Nearby words

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