verb

consecrate

KON-suhk-rayt

Consecrate (verb) means to declare something sacred through a formal or religious ceremony. Example: “The bishop consecrated the new chapel on Sunday morning.”

verb

To declare something sacred through a formal or religious ceremony.

"The bishop consecrated the new chapel on Sunday morning."

"They consecrated the ground before burying the fallen soldiers."

To ordain someone into a high religious office, such as a bishop.

"He was consecrated as bishop after decades of service to the parish."

To devote oneself or one's time completely to a cause or purpose.

"She consecrated her life to helping refugees."

adjective

Made sacred; set apart for a holy purpose.

"Only consecrated wine is used in the ceremony."

How to use consecrate

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo make something officially holy or to fully dedicate yourself to something important.

Common pairings

consecrate a church consecrate a bishop consecrated ground

Word forms

more consecrate comparative, consecrated past tense, consecrates singular, most consecrate superlative

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The bishop _____ the new chapel on Sunday morning.

Etymology

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

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

deconsecrate desacralize desecrate profane uncanonize unbless unhallow unsaint

Related words

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Rhymes for consecrate

ate date rate mate fate abate slate plate state grate create update

See all rhymes for 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.

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