Word
devote
Phoneticsde·vote, stress on the second syllable
US/dɪˈvoʊt/
UK/dɪvˈəʊt/
Definitions
01to give time or effort
B2 · Upper Intermediate General-service
v. to give a lot of your time, effort, or money to something you believe is important.
v. to commit time, effort, or resources to a specific cause, activity, or person. This sense is transitive and almost always followed by the preposition 'to'.
日本語:捧げる※
“She decided to devote her weekends to volunteering at the local animal shelter.”
“The research team will devote the remainder of the fiscal year to analyzing the data collected during the clinical trials.”
Usage
Usually takes the form 'devote something to something/someone'.
Pitfall
He devoted his life for helping others.
He devoted his life to helping others.
The verb 'devote' is followed by the preposition 'to', not 'for'.
02to use space or a part for a purpose
B2 · Upper Intermediate Academic
v. to use a particular area or part of something for one specific purpose.
v. to designate or set aside a specific portion of a physical or abstract entity for a particular use.
“The magazine will devote five pages to the interview with the famous director.”
“The museum chose to devote an entire wing to the works of local artists from the nineteenth century.”
Usage
Often used when discussing the allocation of space in publications or buildings.
03to doom or hand over
C2 · Proficiency Literary · Archaic
v. to give someone or something over to a bad fate or a specific power.
v. to consign or hand over to a particular fate, often a negative one. This usage is less common in modern speech and carries a more serious, final tone.
“In the old story, the hero was devoted to a life of wandering.”
“The ancient text describes how the city was devoted to destruction by the invading army.”
Teaching tip
This sense is rare in modern English; learners will mostly encounter it in older literature or religious texts.
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “devote” in context.
Verb
01. devote resource
“The government decided to devote more resources to improving the public healthcare system.”
verb + noun
Real-World Examples
“After devoting years to the problem, Schlamminger says he is ready to hand the challenge to others.” “For the Artemis astronauts, their time without contact with the Earth will allow them to devote all of their attention to the Moon.” “They also devote 15.7 hours a day to personal and leisure time, more than the OECD average.” “And all those phones devote a lot of memory to AI services that not everyone cares about.” 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.
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 IntermediateOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/devote
※ 機械で選んだ訳語です。ネイティブスピーカーによる確認はまだです。
「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0