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Meaning & use

dedication

noun·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˌded.ɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
US/ˌded.ɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/

Meanings

  1. noununcountable

    Strong commitment and hard work given to a goal, job or cause.

    Grammar: Usually no plural: her dedication to teaching.

    Patterns

    • dedication to something

    The nurses were praised for their dedication.

    Learning the violin takes years of dedication.

    His dedication to the team never wavered.

  2. nouncountable

    A message at the start of a book, or before a performance, that honors a person.

    Grammar: Countable: the dedication reads, For my mother.

    Patterns

    • a dedication to someone

    The novel's dedication was to her late father.

    The singer read out a dedication to a fan.

    I always read the dedication before the first chapter.

  3. nouncountable

    A ceremony in which a building or place is formally devoted to a purpose or honored person.

    Grammar: Countable: the dedication of the memorial.

    Patterns

    • the dedication of something

    The dedication of the new library drew a large crowd.

    A priest led the dedication of the chapel.

    Hundreds attended the dedication of the memorial.

Word forms

pluraldedications

Common combinations

dedication to
Her dedication to her patients was clear.
hard work and dedication
Success takes hard work and dedication.
show dedication
The students showed great dedication.
unwavering dedication
He served with unwavering dedication.
book dedication
The book dedication surprised her.

Synonyms and how they differ

commitment
A promise or firm decision, not always with hard work attached.
devotion
Suggests love or deep loyalty.
perseverance
Stresses continuing despite difficulty.
diligence
Means careful, steady effort in tasks.

Opposites

indifferenceapathy

Word family

dedicate verb
to give time or effort to something
dedicated adjective
committed or specially made for one purpose
dedicatory adjective
relating to a formal dedication

Commonly confused: dedication or dedicated?

dedication vs dedicated

Dedicated is the adjective; dedication is the noun for the quality.

Practice

Which sentence uses dedication in the sense of a message honoring someone?

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