devote
gb/dɪvˈoʊt/ us/dɪvˈoʊt/
B1
English
~ 6300
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
Give a lot of time or effort
To spend a lot of your time, energy, or attention on one activity, cause, or person, usually for a long time.
Usage pattern:
to devote [time/energy/money/oneself] to [something/someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"devote to do something"* instead of using a noun or -ing form. Correct: "devote time to doing something" or "devote time to something," not *"devote time to do something"*. Also, "devote" almost always needs an object; we usually do not say *"He devotes"* alone.
Synonyms
dedicate (Very close in meaning; often slightly more formal or serious, and common in talking about careers, projects, or lives.)
Antonyms
neglect (Means to give too little time or attention, the opposite of devoting a lot of time or care.)
Collocations
devote time to
|devote energy to
|devote attention to
|devote resources to
|devote yourself to
|devote one's life to
Themes
work
|daily life
|relationships
|society
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She decided to devote more time to her children after changing jobs.
- He has devoted his entire career to improving public education.
- The charity devotes most of its funds to medical research.
- After the accident, he devoted himself to learning to walk again.
Learner examples
- I want to devote more time to my English.
- She devoted many years to this project.
- He devotes every weekend to caring for his parents.
- They devote a lot of energy to helping poor families.
Verb
B2
action
2
Assign something to a purpose
To keep or use something, like space, a chapter, or money, for one special purpose.
Usage pattern:
to devote [space/money/a chapter/a section] to [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes overuse this sense with people, saying *"devote a room to my friend"* when they mean "a room for my friend." This sense is more natural for topics, space in media, or resources, not ordinary personal arrangements.
Synonyms
allocate (More technical and neutral; focuses on planned distribution of resources without the emotional sense of commitment.)
Antonyms
withhold (Means to keep something back and not give or assign it to that purpose.)
Collocations
devote a chapter to
|devote a section to
|devote space to
|devote an entire issue to
|devote funds to
Themes
media
|academia
|planning
|work
|business
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The magazine plans to devote its next issue to climate change.
- The museum has devoted a whole room to the artist's early work.
- In this report, we devote one chapter to future market trends.
- The city will devote additional funds to road repairs this year.
Learner examples
- This book devotes one chapter to social media.
- The school devotes two rooms to music classes.
- Our company devotes extra money to safety programs.
- The article devotes a long section to possible solutions.
Verb
formal
C1
action
3
Give to a god or sacred use
To give something to a god or to a special religious use.
Usage pattern:
to devote [a building/land/time] to [a god/a religious purpose]
Synonyms
consecrate (A more formal and strongly religious word, often used in official religious language.)
Antonyms
desecrate (Means to damage or treat something sacred with great disrespect, the opposite of making it sacred.)
Collocations
devote a temple to
|devote the land to
|devote the shrine to
|devote the day to prayer
Themes
religion
|history
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The ancient city devoted its main temple to the goddess of wisdom.
- The family decided to devote the land to religious use and built a small chapel.
- In his will, he devoted a portion of his estate to spiritual and charitable purposes.
Learner examples
- They devoted the new church to Saint Peter.
- Long ago, people devoted many buildings to their gods.
- The king devoted this day to prayer and fasting.
Grammar
Dictionary form
devote
IPA
GB/dɪvˈoʊt/
US/dɪvˈoʊt/
Syllables & stress
de - vote (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (vote)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: devote
- 3rd Person Singular: devotes
- Present Participle: devoting
- Past: devoted
Word family
Expressions
be devoted to
3/bˈi dɪvˈoʊtɪd tə/
fixed phrase
Be very loving and loyal
To love someone or something very much and give a lot of time and care to them.
Examples
- He is completely devoted to his family.
- She is devoted to her work and often stays late.
- They are devoted to each other after many years of marriage.
devote one's life to
4/dɪvˈoʊt wˈʌnz lˈaɪf tə/
fixed phrase
Spend your whole life on something
To use almost all of your years and work for one main purpose or cause.
Examples
- She devoted her life to fighting for human rights.
- He devoted his life to music and never married.
- Many doctors devote their lives to helping others.
devote oneself to
2/dɪvˈoʊt wˌʌnsˈɛlf tə/
fixed phrase
Give yourself fully to something
To spend most of your time and energy on one activity, cause, or person, often for many years.
Examples
- After retiring, she devoted herself to painting.
- He devoted himself to his children after the divorce.
- Many scientists devote themselves to finding cures for rare diseases.
devote time to
1/dɪvˈoʊt tˈaɪm tə/
fixed phrase
Spend a lot of time on something
To spend a lot of hours or days doing or working on one activity.
Examples
- You need to devote more time to practice if you want to improve.
- She devotes a few hours every evening to reading.
- We should devote more time to planning before we start.