[de.vote] vt de.vot.ed ; de.vot.ing [L devotus, pp. of devovere, fr. de- + vovere to vow] (1586) 1: to commit by a solemn act "devoted herself to serving God"
2: to give over or direct (as time, money, or effort) to a cause, enterprise, or activity -- de.vote.ment n syn devote, dedicate, consecrate, hallow mean to set apart for a special and often higher end. devote is likely to imply compelling motives and often attachment to an objective "devoted his evenings to study". dedicate implies solemn and exclusive devotion to a sacred or serious use or purpose "dedicated her life to medical research". consecrate stresses investment with a solemn or sacred quality "consecrate a church to the worship of God". hallow, often differing little from dedicate or consecrate, may distinctively imply an attribution of intrinsic sanctity "battlegrounds hallowed by the blood of patriots".