/ ˈdedɪkeɪt; NAmE / verb [ vn ]
1.
dedicate yourself / sth to sth / to doing sth to give a lot of your time and effort to a particular activity or purpose because you think it is important
SYN devote :
She dedicates herself to her work.
He dedicated his life to helping the poor.
2.
dedicate sth to sb to say at the beginning of a book, a piece of music or a performance that you are doing it for sb, as a way of thanking them or showing respect :
This book is dedicated to my parents.
3.
dedicate sth (to sb/sth) to hold an official ceremony to say that a building or an object has a special purpose or is special to the memory of a particular person :
The chapel was dedicated in 1880.
A memorial stone was dedicated to those who were killed in the war.
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (in the sense devote to sacred use by solemn rites ): from Latin dedicat- devoted, consecrated, from the verb dedicare .