dedication
gb/dˌɛdɪkˈeɪʃən/ us/dˌɛdɪkˈeɪʃən/
B1
English
~ 6400
elkötelezettség, elhivatottság, odaadás, ajánlás, felavatás, avatási ünnepség, felszentelés, gyermekbemutatás, odaajánlás
NOUN
B1
1
Usage pattern:
dedication to [something/someone]
Her dedication to the project impressed everyone on the team.
A projekt iránti elkötelezettsége lenyűgözte a csapat minden tagját.
Learning a language takes time, dedication, and regular practice.
Egy nyelv megtanulásához idő, elkötelezettség és rendszeres gyakorlás kell.
The coach praised the players for their dedication during the long season.
His dedication to his patients is one reason he is so respected.
With enough dedication, you can finish the course in six months.
Learner examples
She shows great dedication to her job.
Nagy elkötelezettséget mutat a munkája iránt.
You need dedication if you want to be a doctor.
Sok elhivatottság kell ahhoz, hogy orvos legyél.
His dedication helps the team win games.
With dedication, you can reach your goal.
Their success comes from hard work and dedication.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "dedication" with "donation." "Dedication" is about time and effort, while "donation" is about giving money, things, or blood. Some also overuse the verb form *dedicate* in casual speech where "spend" or "give" is more natural (e.g. saying *I dedicate two hours to TV* instead of *I spend two hours watching TV*).
Meaning
strong commitment and hard work
Collocations
hard work and dedication
|show dedication
|total dedication
|professional dedication
|require dedication
|dedication to [something]
Synonyms
commitment (Very close in meaning; slightly broader and can be more formal or abstract than dedication.)
|
devotion (Suggests deep emotional attachment in addition to hard work; often used for family, causes, or religion.)
Antonyms
laziness (Focuses on not wanting to make an effort, the opposite of working hard with dedication.)
|
apathy (Lack of interest or care, the opposite of caring enough to give strong effort.)
Themes
work
|character
|education
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The state of working very hard for a long time because something is important to you.
The quality of being very committed to a task, goal, or person, shown by giving a lot of time, energy, and effort.
NOUN
B2
2
ajánlás
B1
Usage pattern:
a dedication to [someone]
The book’s dedication reads, "To my parents, with love."
A könyv ajánlásában ez áll: „Szüleimnek, szeretettel.”
Did you see the sweet dedication to his wife at the front of the novel?
Láttad a regény elején a feleségének szóló kedves ajánlást?
She asked the singer to include a special dedication to her friend on the radio.
The film opens with a dedication to the director’s late mentor.
He wrote a personal dedication on the title page before giving her the book.
Learner examples
I read the dedication before I start the book.
Elolvasom az ajánlást, mielőtt elkezdem olvasni a könyvet.
The dedication says, "For my children."
Az ajánlásban ez áll: „Gyermekeimnek.”
There is a short dedication on the first page.
He wrote a nice dedication to his teacher.
The movie has a dedication to the fans at the end.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this meaning with the general idea of hard work. In sentences like "I loved the dedication at the start of the book," the word refers to the short text, not to the writer's effort. Look for physical things you can read to identify this sense.
Meaning
short message saying who a work is for
Collocations
book dedication
|song dedication
|dedication page
|write a dedication
|read the dedication
|a dedication to [someone]
Synonyms
inscription (A more formal word; can refer to any written note on or in something, not only in books or songs.)
|
tribute (Focuses more on the act of honoring someone; not limited to the small written line in a work.)
Antonyms
anonymous (A work released without names or personal notes contrasts with one that includes a dedication naming someone.)
Themes
art
|writing
|media
|arts_entertainment
|communication
Definition
The short text in a book, song, or other work that says who it is for or who it honors.
A short message at the beginning of a book, song, or other work that says who it is written or created for.
NOUN
B2
3
felavatás
B2
Usage pattern:
dedication of [a building/monument]
The mayor spoke at the dedication of the new community center.
A polgármester beszédet mondott az új közösségi központ felavatásán.
Hundreds of people attended the dedication ceremony for the war memorial.
Több százan vettek részt a háborús emlékmű avatási ünnepségén.
The statue’s dedication will take place next Saturday at noon.
Invitations were sent out for the library dedication on campus.
The dedication of the new park was broadcast live on local television.
Learner examples
They went to the dedication of the new school.
Elmentek az új iskola felavatására.
The dedication ceremony was on Sunday morning.
Az avatási ünnepség vasárnap délelőtt volt.
Many people came to the park dedication.
We watched the dedication of the new museum on TV.
The president gave a speech at the dedication.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "dedication" in this sense means "party". While there can be a party, a dedication is a formal ceremony with speeches or official acts to open or name something.
Meaning
formal ceremony to open something
Collocations
dedication ceremony
|attend a dedication
|the dedication of a new building
|statue dedication
|official dedication
|church dedication
Synonyms
inauguration (A formal and sometimes more official word; often used for buildings or public offices.)
|
opening ceremony (Less formal phrase that broadly covers events marking the start of something.)
Antonyms
closing ceremony (Marks the end of something, whereas a dedication marks the beginning or official opening.)
Themes
public_life
|culture
|ceremony
|housing
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A special public event when people officially open or name a new building, statue, or other place.
A formal ceremony or event held to officially open or name a building, monument, or other important structure.
NOUN
C1
4
felszentelés
C1
Usage pattern:
dedication of [a child/a building] to [God]
The family invited their friends to their baby’s dedication at church.
A család meghívta a barátait kisbabájuk templomi bemutatására.
The dedication of the new temple drew worshippers from across the region.
Az új templom felszentelése a térség minden részéből vonzott hívőket.
A special dedication service was held to offer the building to God.
The priest led the dedication of the altar during the evening mass.
In some traditions, dedication is a public promise to raise a child in the faith.
Learner examples
They had a baby dedication at their church.
Gyermekbemutatást tartottak a gyülekezetükben.
The dedication of the new temple was very important for the town.
Az új templom felszentelése nagyon fontos volt a város számára.
We went to a dedication service on Sunday.
The priest did the dedication of the altar.
In their religion, dedication is a big event.
Common mistake:
Learners may mix this religious meaning with the general "hard work" meaning. If the sentence includes words like "church," "temple," "God," or "service," it usually refers to a religious ceremony, not personal effort.
Meaning
religious act of setting apart
Collocations
baby dedication
|dedication of the temple
|religious dedication
|dedication service
|dedication of the altar
|dedication to God
Synonyms
consecration (A more technical or formal religious term for making something holy for a sacred purpose.)
Antonyms
secularization (Turning something away from religious use contrasts with dedicating it to a religious purpose.)
Themes
religion
|ceremony
Definition
A special religious event where a person, place, or thing is given to God in a formal way.
A religious act or ceremony in which a person, place, or object is formally given or devoted to God or a deity.
NOUN
B2
FORMAL
5
ajánlás
B1
odaajánlás
C1
Usage pattern:
the dedication of [a work] to [someone]
The dedication of the novel to his late brother was announced at the launch event.
A bemutatón jelentették be, hogy az író a regényt elhunyt testvérének ajánlotta.
She explained that the dedication of the piece to her teacher was deeply personal.
Elmagyarázta, hogy a művet a tanárának ajánlotta, és ez számára mélyen személyes ügy volt.
After their argument, he regretted the dedication of the album to his former partner.
The dedication of the report to frontline workers was a symbolic gesture of thanks.
The publisher questioned the dedication of the book to a controversial figure.
Learner examples
The dedication of the book to his mother was very touching.
Nagyon megható volt, hogy a könyvet az édesanyjának ajánlotta.
They talked about the dedication of the film to the director’s friend.
Arról beszéltek, hogy a filmet a rendező barátjának ajánlották.
He changed the dedication of his song to another person.
The dedication of the poem to her teacher made her cry.
We heard about the dedication of the music to the victims.
Common mistake:
This meaning is close to the "dedication" text itself (sense 2). Here, the focus is on the action or decision (the dedication of a work), not on the short written line you see on the page.
Meaning
act of dedicating a work
Collocations
the dedication of the book
|formal dedication
|public dedication
|dedication of the piece to [someone]
|announce the dedication
|change the dedication
Synonyms
commemoration (Focuses on honoring someone's memory; not limited to artistic works but similar in spirit.)
Antonyms
withdrawal of dedication (The act of formally removing or canceling a dedication is the opposite of making one.)
Themes
art
|writing
|formal
|arts_entertainment
|communication
Definition
The formal act of saying that a book, song, or other work is for a special person.
The formal act of saying that a book, piece of music, or other work is created in honor of or for a particular person.
Grammar
Dictionary form
dedication
IPA
GB/dˌɛdɪkˈeɪʃən/
US/dˌɛdɪkˈeɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
ded - ic - a - tion (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (a)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: dedication
- Plural: dedication, dedications
Word family
Expressions
book dedication
1/bˈʊk dˌɛdɪkˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
dedication text in a book
The short line in a book that says who the book is for.
Examples
- The book dedication reads, "For my grandparents."
- She cried when she saw the book dedication to her on the first page.
dedication ceremony
1/dˌɛdɪkˈeɪʃən sˈɛɹɪmˌoʊni/
fixed phrase
formal event to open something
A special public event where a building, statue, or other place is officially opened or named.
Examples
- The dedication ceremony for the new bridge will be held on Friday.
- Hundreds of people attended the dedication ceremony of the monument.
dedication page
1/dˌɛdɪkˈeɪʃən pˈeɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
page showing the dedication
The page in a book where the short message (dedication) is printed.
Examples
- The dedication page comes right after the title page.
- He flipped to the dedication page to see who the novel was for.
hard work and dedication
1/hˈɑɹd wˈɚk ˈænd dˌɛdɪkˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
strong effort plus commitment
Working a lot and caring strongly about your goal.
Examples
- With hard work and dedication, she built a successful business.
- The coach said that hard work and dedication are more important than talent.
lack of dedication
1/lˈæk əv dˌɛdɪkˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
not enough commitment
Not having enough care or hard work for something.
Examples
- His lack of dedication was clear from his poor attendance.
- The project failed because of a lack of dedication from the team.
show dedication
1/ʃˈoʊ dˌɛdɪkˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
demonstrate strong commitment
To act in a way that makes people see you are very committed.
Examples
- Volunteers who show dedication will be given more responsibility.
- He really showed dedication by coming in early every day.
song dedication
1/sˈɔŋ dˌɛdɪkˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
saying a song is for someone
Words that say a song is for a special person.
Examples
- The DJ read out a song dedication from a listener to her boyfriend.
- He made a song dedication to his parents at the concert.
through hard work and dedication
1/θɹˈu hˈɑɹd wˈɚk ˈænd dˌɛdɪkˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
by effort and commitment
Because you worked hard and stayed very committed.
Examples
- She became a top player through hard work and dedication.
- They improved their English through hard work and dedication, not luck.
total dedication
1/tˈoʊtəl dˌɛdɪkˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
complete commitment
Giving all your time and energy to something.
Examples
- Success at this level requires total dedication.
- Her total dedication to her patients is inspiring.
with dedication
1/wˈɪθ dˌɛdɪkˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
in a very committed way
In a way that shows you are very serious and work very hard.
Examples
- She approaches every task with dedication.
- If you study with dedication, you will see results.