Word
dedicate
Phoneticsded·i·cate, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈdɛdəˌkeɪt/
UK/dˈɛdɪkˌeɪt/
Definitions
01to commit time or effort
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to give most of your energy, time, or attention to a person, job, or activity.
v. to devote oneself or one's resources to a particular task, cause, or person. Transitive, often used with the preposition 'to'.
“She decided to dedicate her life to helping children in need.”
“The scientist dedicated her entire career to finding a cure for this rare disease, often working late into the night in her laboratory.”
Usage
Commonly follows the pattern 'dedicate something/oneself to something'.
Pitfall
She dedicated to help the poor.
She dedicated herself to helping the poor.
The verb is transitive; you must dedicate 'yourself' or 'your time' to something. Also, use the -ing form after 'to' in this context.
02to inscribe a book or art
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to say at the beginning of a book or song that it was written for a specific person.
v. to address or inscribe a creative work to another person as a mark of respect, affection, or gratitude.
“The author chose to dedicate his first novel to his parents.”
“In the opening pages, the composer dedicated the symphony to his mentor, acknowledging the profound influence the older man had on his style.”
Synonyms
03to officially open a building
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to hold a ceremony to officially open a new building or memorial.
v. to designate a building, monument, or park for a specific purpose or person through a formal ceremony.
“The city will dedicate the new park to the soldiers who died in the war.”
“The archbishop arrived to dedicate the new cathedral, performing a traditional ceremony that lasted several hours before the public was admitted.”
04to set aside for a purpose
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to save something, like money or space, for one particular use.
v. to set apart or earmark a resource for a specific function or objective.
“The company will dedicate a large part of its budget to new technology.”
“The urban planning committee decided to dedicate the northern section of the lot exclusively to low-income housing projects.”
Real-World Examples
“Costs are spiralling, with many local councils forced to dedicate the vast majority of their budgets to it.” “One day she’ll be Matched with a rich child, and dedicate the rest of her life to making their wishes come true.” Etymology
From Middle English dedicaten (“to dedicate”), from dedicat(e) (“dedicated”, also used as the past participle of dedicaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), from Latin dēdicātus, the perfect passive participle of dēdicō (“to dedicate, proclaim”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).
from Middle English dedicat(e) (“dedicated”, also used as the past participle of dedicaten), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more. The nouns is derived through substantivization from Latin dēdicātus, see -ate (noun-forming suffix).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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