devote

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /dɪˈvoʊt/ UK /dɪˈvəʊt/ See IPA manual

Freq #12693

Meanings

1

verb
To give your time, energy, or attention fully to a person, activity, or purpose.

They devoted their lives to helping the poor.
2

verb
To set something aside for a particular use or purpose.

The museum devotes a whole room to ancient Egyptian art.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to give your time, energy,... consecrate

2 verb · to set something aside for... dedicate give

Word family

Forms devotesdevoting

Derived forms devotementdevoterdevotionmisdevotepredevoteredevote

Related forms devotee

Etymology

Borrowed 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.

*h₁wegʷʰ- Proto-Indo-European dēvoveō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# devote

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /dɪˈvoʊt/
**IPA (UK):** /dɪˈvəʊt/
**Frequency rank:** 12693

## Meanings
1. To give your time, energy, or attention fully to a person, activity, or purpose.
2. To set something aside for a particular use or purpose.

## Examples
- They devoted their lives to helping the poor.
- The museum devotes a whole room to ancient Egyptian art.

## Derived Forms
- devotement
- devoter
- devotion
- misdevote
- predevote
- redevote

## Related Forms
- devotee

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₁wegʷʰ-
- Root: dēvoveō

## Etymology
Borrowed 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.

## AI Etymology
devote was borrowed 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. The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *h₁wegʷʰ-, Latin dēvoveō. Current senses include to give your time, energy, or attention fully to a person, activity, or purpose and to set something aside for a particular use or purpose. English relatives and later formations include devotement, devoter, devotion, devotee.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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