Word
devout
Phoneticsde·vout, stress on the second syllable
US/dɪˈvaʊt/
UK/dɪvˈaʊt/
Definition
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.
Examples
“She is a devout follower of her faith.”
“As a devout environmentalist, he spends every weekend volunteering for local conservation projects.”
“The biography portrays him not just as a skilled politician, but as a devout man whose private spiritual life dictated his public policy decisions.”
Examples
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.”
Usage
Often used predicatively after 'be' or 'remain', but also common in attributive position before nouns like 'follower', 'believer', or 'supporter'.
Real-World Examples
“Ali plays a devout Muslim family man, who also happens to be an assassin in Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother.” “Spain is a Catholic country, although there is evidence to suggest its people are more 'culturally Catholic' than devout these days, as The Local has covered previously .” “Despite his criticisms of the limits of human reason, Ockham remained a devout Christian.” Etymology
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- 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.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL 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: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/devout