# devote

/dɪˈvoʊt/ (US) · /dɪvˈəʊt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/devote
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to give time or effort

verb · CEFR B2 · General-service

to give a lot of your time, effort, or money to something you believe is important.

For teachers: 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'.

- 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'.

### 2. to use space or a part for a purpose

verb · CEFR B2 · Academic

to use a particular area or part of something for one specific purpose.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. to doom or hand over

verb · CEFR C2 · Literary · Archaic

to give someone or something over to a bad fate or a specific power.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- She plans to devote her weekends to learning how to paint.
- The charity decided to devote all its remaining funds to building a new community center for local youth.
- Scholars often devote their entire careers to the study of a single historical period, seeking to uncover nuances that generalist historians might overlook.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.