devotion

devotion — noun

1. a strong feeling of love and loyalty that makes you want to support and care for

1.nounB2
Definition

a strong feeling of love and loyalty that makes you want to support and care for a person, a group, or a cause you believe in — for example, devotion to your family, to your country, or to a job you find meaningful.

Example

Sophia showed deep devotion to her aging mother by visiting every single day.

devotion to + person

Bao's devotion to helping students from poor families won him a teaching award.

devotion to + -ing verb

Common collocations
  • devotion to family
  • devotion to duty
  • undying devotion
  • devotion to the cause
Synonyms
  • dedication

    emphasises sustained effort and seriousness rather than warm affection

  • loyalty

    focuses on faithfulness and reliability, often in relationships or allegiances

  • commitment

    stresses an obligation or promise to engage; less emotional than devotion

Antonyms
  • indifference

    lack of interest or concern, the opposite of passionate devotion

  • neglect

    failing to care for someone or something, the opposite of devoted care

Grammar Patterns

devotion to + noun/pronoun

devotion to + -ing verb

Usage Note

Frequently followed by 'to' + a noun or a gerund. Devotion is uncountable in this sense — do NOT use an article such as 'a'.

Common Mistakes

She has a strong devotion to her job.
She has strong devotion to her job.
Devotion is uncountable, so no indefinite article is needed.

2. the quality of being deeply committed to a religious faith, shown through worshi

2.nounB2
Definition

the quality of being deeply committed to a religious faith, shown through worship, prayer, and following its teachings in daily life.

Example

Élise's quiet devotion to her faith inspired everyone who knew her.

devotion to + faith

The family's religious devotion was shown through their kindness to strangers.

collocation: religious devotion

Common collocations
  • religious devotion
  • spiritual devotion
  • devotion to God
  • deep devotion
Synonyms
  • piety

    formal term for religious devotion, often suggesting dutiful observance

  • faith

    can mean either belief itself or the quality of trust in God; broader than devotion

  • reverence

    a feeling of deep respect, which is a component of devotion but not the whole

Antonyms
  • irreverence

    lack of respect for religious matters

  • apostasy

    formal term for abandoning one's religious faith

Grammar Patterns

devotion to + faith/God/religion

Usage Note

Often modified by adjectives such as 'religious', 'spiritual', 'deep', or 'true'. Unlike sense 3, this sense refers to an inner attitude rather than specific acts or rituals.

3. a set of religious practices or prayers that a person carries out regularly, eit

3.nounB2
Definition

a set of religious practices or prayers that a person carries out regularly, either alone or with others, as a way of expressing faith — for example, morning devotions said at home or evening devotions in a church group.

Example

Every morning, Grandmother Ife said her devotions before the rest of the family woke up.

plural form 'devotions' for daily prayers

The monks gathered in the hall for their evening devotions at sunset.

Common collocations
  • daily devotions
  • morning devotions
  • evening devotions
  • say one's devotions
Synonyms
  • prayers

    a more everyday word for talking to God; less formal than devotions

  • worship

    broader term that includes singing, teaching, and other acts beyond prayer

Grammar Patterns

one's devotions

morning/evening devotions

Usage Note

Commonly appears in the plural form 'devotions' when referring to specific prayer practices or rituals. Singular use is rare and mostly found in fixed expressions like 'at one's devotion'.

Common Mistakes

He does his devotion every evening.
He does his devotions every evening.
When referring to acts of prayer, the plural form is the standard choice.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe a strong connection to someone or something, but they differ in emotional tone and emphasis. Devotion carries warm affection and a sense of loving care — you feel devoted to people or causes you truly love. Dedication focuses more on sustained effort and seriousness of purpose; you can be dedicated to a project without loving it. Loyalty is about faithfulness and reliability, especially in relationships or allegiances — you stay loyal even when things are hard. Commitment stresses an obligation or promise to engage; it is more about duty than emotion. For example, 'Her devotion to her students went beyond the classroom — she visited their homes and helped with personal problems.' Here, 'loyalty' would be too passive and 'commitment' too formal; only 'devotion' captures the warm, active care she gave.

devotion ↗dedication ↗loyalty ↗commitment ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • with devotion
  • in devotion to

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'devotion' comes from the Latin noun 'devotio', meaning a vowing or a dedication. This was formed from the verb 'devovere', which combines 'de-' (down, fully) and 'vovere' (to vow). The original idea was 'to vow oneself completely to a god or a sacred purpose.' The word passed through Old French as 'devocion' before entering English, where it was first used for religious dedication. Over time, the sense broadened to include deep love and loyalty toward any person or cause.