dedicate

American  

[ded-i-keyt, ded-i-kit] / ˈdɛd ɪˌkeɪt, ˈdɛd ɪ kɪt /

verb (used with object)

dedicated, dedicating

1. to set apart and consecrate to a deity or to a sacred purpose.

   The ancient Greeks dedicated many shrines to Aphrodite.

2. to devote wholly and earnestly, as to some person or purpose.

   He dedicated his life to fighting corruption.

   Synonyms:

   consecrate, pledge, commit

3. to offer formally (a book, piece of music, etc.) to a person, cause, or the like in testimony of affection or respect, as on a prefatory page.

4. (loosely) to inscribe a personal signature on (a book, drawing, etc., that is one's own work), usually with a salutation addressing the recipient.

5. to mark the official completion or opening of (a public building, monument, highway, etc.), usually by formal ceremonies.

6. to set aside for or assign to a specific function, task, or purpose.

   The county health agency has dedicated one inspector to monitor conditions in nursing homes.

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adjective

1. dedicated.

dedicate British  

/ ˈdɛdɪˌkeɪt, ˈdɛdɪˌkeɪtərɪ, ˈdɛdɪkətərɪ, -trɪ /

verb

1. (often foll by to) to devote (oneself, one's time, etc) wholly to a special purpose or cause; commit wholeheartedly or unreservedly

2. (foll by to) to address or inscribe (a book, artistic performance, etc) to a person, cause, etc as a token of affection or respect

3. (foll by to) to request or play (a record) on radio for another person as a greeting

4. to assign or allocate to a particular project, function, etc

5. to set apart for a deity or for sacred uses; consecrate

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adjective

1. an archaic word for dedicated

Related Words

See devote.

Other Word Forms

• dedicatee noun
• dedicator noun
• dedicatory adjective
• overdedicate verb (used with object)
• prededicate verb (used with object)
• rededicate verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of dedicate

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English (verb and adjective) from Latin dēdicātus, past participle of dēdicāre “to declare, devote,” equivalent to dē- “from, away, out of” + dicāre “to indicate, consecrate,” akin to dīcere “to say, speak”; de-, dictate )

Explanation

To dedicate is to assign, to commit or to give over. If you dedicate a song you’ve written to a friend, it means the song belongs to them. If you dedicate yourself to a project, it means you give yourself to it. Things you may be dedicated to include your family, improving your local park, or attempting to break the world record for making the world's biggest rubber band ball. A dedicated resource is one committed to a specific mission, such as the computer room at your school being dedicated, or given over, to newspaper production every Tuesday afternoon.

Example Sentences

The move comes as OpenAI reshuffles its strategy to dedicate more compute resources toward core business products ahead of a possible initial public offering, the Wall Street Journal reported.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026

Once companies build their own software, they have to keep it updated and dedicate engineering resources toward the effort.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

As a writer, I dedicate myself daily to the delicate nature of words: the ways they move us and influence us.

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026

Typically, I dedicate one day to clearing out and cleaning, and the next to deeper, more detailed work.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

She told me I should dedicate the book to her.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

Related Words

• allot
• apply
• apportion
• assign
• commit
• devote
• give
• restrict