devote

devote — verb

1. to commit your time and emotional energy to a person, cause, or activity because

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to commit your time and emotional energy to a person, cause, or activity because you believe it is deeply important — for example, devoting your life to helping the poor, or devoting yourself to a lifelong partner.

Example

Hoa devoted her free Saturdays to working at the animal shelter.

devote + time period + to + gerund

After retiring, Bilal devoted himself to teaching young children to read.

reflexive: devote + oneself + to + noun/gerund

Common collocations
  • devote oneself
  • devote one's life
  • devote one's energy
  • devote one's heart
Synonyms
  • dedicate

    very close in meaning; 'dedicate' often suggests a formal ceremony or public acknowledgement, while 'devote' focuses on sustained effort over time.

  • commit

    broader and slightly less emotional; 'commit' can apply to plans, decisions, or relationships, not just personal sacrifice.

  • give oneself to

    phrasal equivalent, more general and less intense than 'devote'; can sound less formal.

Antonyms
  • neglect

    to fail to give enough care or attention to someone or something

  • abandon

    to leave someone or something permanently, the opposite of lifelong commitment

Grammar Patterns

devote + reflexive pronoun + to + noun/gerund

devote + one's life/time/energy + to + noun/gerund

Usage Note

Frequently used with a reflexive pronoun (devote oneself) when the target of dedication is a cause or activity rather than a specific person. This sense carries a strong emotional tone of personal sacrifice.

Common Mistakes

She devotes to help the poor.
She devotes her time to helping the poor.
The pattern requires a direct object (time / life / oneself) before 'to', and a gerund (not a bare infinitive) after 'to'.
He devoted his children.
He devoted himself to his children.
You cannot 'devote' another person; the direct object must be yourself or your resources.

2. to decide that a particular amount of time, money, effort, space, or another res

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to decide that a particular amount of time, money, effort, space, or another resource should be used toward achieving a certain goal — for example, devoting an hour each day to language study, or devoting a page of the newsletter to local events.

Example

The city council devoted thirty percent of its budget to public transportation.

quantify: devote + percentage + of + budget + to + noun

Arjun devotes at least two hours each evening to practicing the piano.

devote + time period + to + gerund

Common collocations
  • devote time
  • devote money
  • devote resources
  • devote attention
  • devote space
Synonyms
  • allocate

    more formal and business-like; 'allocate' is preferred in institutional or financial contexts.

  • set aside

    phrasal verb, more concrete; 'set aside' implies physically or deliberately reserving something for later use.

  • assign

    focuses on giving a task or role to someone, rather than dedicating a resource to a purpose.

Antonyms
  • withhold

    to deliberately keep back resources that could have been given

  • divert

    to use something for a different purpose than originally intended

Grammar Patterns

devote + time/money/resources/space + to + noun/gerund

devote + quantity/percentage + of + noun + to + noun/gerund

Usage Note

The direct object is typically a measurable or quantifiable resource (time, money, space, effort). Unlike sense 1, this sense is neutral in tone — it focuses on practical allocation rather than emotional commitment. The object may be a proportion (half, thirty percent, a large portion).

Common Mistakes

I devoted to finish the report by Friday.
I devoted two hours to finishing the report.
The pattern is 'devote + [resource] + to + gerund', never 'devote + to + infinitive'.
We devoted the meeting to discuss the budget.
We devoted the first half of the meeting to discussing the budget.
After 'to', use a gerund or noun, not a bare or full infinitive.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words involve giving time or energy to something important, but they differ in tone and scope. 'Dedicate' is the closest synonym to 'devote' and often suggests a formal or lifelong commitment — a scientist may dedicate a book to a mentor, or a musician may dedicate a performance to a family member. 'Commit' is broader and less emotional; you commit to a plan, a deadline, or a relationship without necessarily making a personal sacrifice. 'Consecrate' is strongly religious or ceremonial, implying a sacred purpose — a bishop consecrates a church, not a school project. 'Give oneself to' is a phrasal equivalent that sounds more general and less intense than 'devote'. Use 'devote' when you want to stress sustained personal effort over time. For example: She devoted her weekends to teaching refugee children. She dedicated the award to her late father. She committed to finishing the course by June.

dedicate ↗commit ↗consecrategive oneself to

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • devote oneself to
  • devote one's life to
  • devote time and energy to

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'devote' comes from Latin 'devovere', meaning 'to vow, dedicate, consecrate'. It was formed from 'de-' (down, away) + 'vovere' (to vow). The original sense was religious — making a solemn promise to a deity. By the 16th century, English had adopted 'devote' for any deep personal commitment, and later the meaning broadened to cover the practical allocation of resources such as time or money. The two modern senses — emotional dedication and practical allocation — both trace back to the same Latin root.