devote

See also: dévote

English

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /dɪˈvoʊt/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /dɪˈvəʊt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊt

Verb

devote (third-person singular simple present devotes, present participle devoting, simple past and past participle devoted)

1. to give one's time, focus one's efforts, commit oneself, etc. entirely for, on, or to a certain matter

   They devoted their lives to following Jesus Christ.

   I devoted this afternoon to repainting my study, and nothing will get in my way.

   • 1678, Obadiah Grew, Meditations Upon Our Saviour's Parable of The Prodigal Son:

     He is the Chief of this far Countrey; and to his service, carnal and wicked men devote themselves.

   • 1879, Asa Gray, Botanical Text-book:

     a leafless and simple branch […] devoted to the purpose of climbing

2. to consign over; to doom

   to devote one to destruction

   The city was devoted to the flames.

3. to execrate; to curse

Usage notes

• Often used in the past participle form, which has become an adjective. See devoted.

Derived terms

• devotion

Related terms

• devotee

Translations

to commit for a certain matter

• Arabic: توفر على, صرف همته إلى
• Armenian: նվիրել (hy) (nvirel), նվիրվել (hy) (nvirvel)
• Bulgarian: посвещавам (bg) (posveštavam), отдавам (bg) (otdavam)
• Catalan: consagrar (ca)
• Czech: zasvětit
• Danish: vie (da), hellige, tilegne (da)
• Dutch: wijden (nl), toewijden (nl)
• Finnish: omistaa (fi), pyhittää (fi), omistautua (fi)
• French: consacrer (fr), vouer (fr)
• Galician: consagrar (gl)
• German: widmen (de)
• Greek: αφιερώνω (el) (afieróno)

  Ancient: καθιερόω (kathieróō)

• Hebrew: הקדיש (hikdísh)
• Hungarian: szán (hu), áldoz (hu), szentel (hu)
• Irish: tabhair
• Japanese: 凝る (ja) (こる, koru)
• Latgalian: paškiert
• Latin: addīcō, dēvoveō
• Latvian: veltīt
• Maori: whakaū, whakaihi, kiriwhakauka
• Polish: poświęcać (pl) impf, poświęcić (pl) pf, angażować (pl) impf, zaangażować (pl) pf
• Portuguese: devotar
• Russian: посвяща́ть (ru) impf (posvjaščátʹ), посвяти́ть (ru) pf (posvjatítʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: coisrig
• Spanish: dedicar (es)
• Swedish: hänge (sv), ägna (sv)
• Turkish: adamak (tr)
• Ukrainian: присвя́чувати (prysvjáčuvaty), приділя́ти (prydiljáty)

Adjective

devote (comparative more devote, superlative most devote)

1. (obsolete) devoted; addicted; devout
   • 1667, John Milton, “(please specify the book number)”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     A world devote to universal wrack

Anagrams

• vetoed

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

devote

1. inflection of devoot:
   1. masculine/feminine singular attributive
   2. definite neuter singular attributive
   3. plural attributive

German

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

devote

1. inflection of devot:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Italian

Adjective

devote

1. feminine plural of devoto

Noun

devote f

1. plural of devota

Anagrams

• dovete

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /deːˈu̯oː.te/, [d̪eːˈu̯oːt̪ɛ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /deˈvo.te/, [d̪eˈvɔːt̪e]

Participle

dēvōte

1. vocative masculine singular of dēvōtus

References

• “devote”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• devote in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Portuguese

Verb

devote

1. inflection of devotar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Swedish

Adjective

devote

1. definite natural masculine singular of devot