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devout

adj.
C1 Advanced US //dɪˈvaʊt// UK //dɪvˈaʊt// de·vout Archaic

adj. having very strong religious beliefs and following them carefully. It can also describe a person who is very committed to a specific interest or cause.

adj. deeply committed to religious belief and practice; characterized by sincere devotion. In a secular context, it describes a person whose commitment to a particular activity or belief is unwavering.


SIMPLE

She is a devout follower of her faith.

CONTEXTUAL

As a devout environmentalist, he spends every weekend volunteering for local conservation projects.

COMPLEX

The biography portrays him not just as a skilled politician, but as a devout man whose private spiritual life dictated his public policy decisions.

Synonyms
Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Italic *dē Ecclesiastical Latin dē Ecclesiastical Latin dē- Proto-Indo-European *h₁wegʷʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Indo-European *h₁wogʷʰéyeti Proto-Italic *wogʷeō Ecclesiastical Latin voveō Ecclesiastical Latin dēvoveō Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tos Ecclesiastical Latin -tus Ecclesiastical Latin dēvōtusbor. Old French devotbor. Middle English devout English devout Inherited from Middle English devout. From Middle English devout, devot, from Old French devot (French dévot), from Latin dēvōtus, perfect passive participle of dēvōveō. Doublet of devote.

Usage

Often used predicatively after 'be' or 'remain', but also common in attributive position before nouns like 'follower', 'believer', or 'supporter'.

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