Meaning & use
consecrated
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“consecrated” is a form of “consecrate”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivebefore a nounreligionformal
Officially made holy by a religious ceremony.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: consecrated ground; the church was consecrated.
Patterns
- consecrated ground
- consecrated bread
The graveyard is consecrated ground.
The bishop blessed the consecrated bread.
The new chapel was consecrated last Sunday.
adjectivecomparablefigurativeformal
Set apart and fully devoted to a purpose or cause.
Grammar: Usually figurative and followed by to: consecrated to a cause.
Patterns
- consecrated to something
She lived a life consecrated to the care of the poor.
The garden was consecrated to the memory of their son.
The monument stands on land consecrated to peace.
verbtransitivereligionformal
Past form of consecrate: to make something holy or to dedicate it to a purpose.
Grammar: Takes an object: the bishop consecrated the church.
Patterns
- consecrate something to something
- consecrate someone as something
The archbishop consecrated the new cathedral.
They consecrated the field as a burial ground.
He consecrated his career to the study of medicine.
Word forms
| base form | consecrate |
|---|---|
| third person singular | consecrates |
| -ing form | consecrating |
Common combinations
- consecrated ground
- The old church sits on consecrated ground.
- consecrated bishop
- He was consecrated bishop in the spring.
- consecrated to
- The shrine is consecrated to a local saint.
- consecrated host
- The consecrated host was placed on the altar.
- newly consecrated
- The newly consecrated church held its first service.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sanctified
- Sanctified means made holy or free from sin, and can be less formal than consecrated, which implies an official rite.
- hallowed
- Hallowed suggests respect built over time, while consecrated focuses on a formal act.
- blessed
- Blessed is broader and used for ordinary religious favor, not just formal dedication.
- dedicated
- Dedicated is general and secular, while consecrated adds a sacred meaning.
Opposites
Word family
- consecrate verb
- to make sacred
- consecration noun
- the act of making holy
- desecrate verb
- to damage something sacred
- sacred adjective
- holy or deserving great respect
Commonly confused: consecrated or consecutive?
consecrated vs consecutive
Consecutive means following in order without a break, and has no religious meaning.
Practice
Because the cemetery was ____ ground, the villagers refused to sell it for development.
Choose one answer.
Consecrated ground means ground made holy by ritual. Consecutive means in sequence and does not describe sacred land.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “consecrated”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.