Dedication

noun

noun ·4 syllables ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The act of dedicating or the state of being dedicated. uncountable

    "work with dedication"

  2. 2
    the act of binding yourself (intellectually or emotionally) to a course of action wordnet
  3. 3
    A note addressed to a patron or friend, prefixed to a work of art as a token of respect, esteem, or affection. countable

    "Her dedication for the book was only a cryptic "Once again, for T"."

  4. 4
    complete and wholehearted fidelity wordnet
  5. 5
    The event, or the ceremony celebrating it, marking an official completion, opening, or beginning. countable

    "Near-synonym: inauguration"

Show 4 more definitions
  1. 6
    a short message (as in a book or musical work or on a photograph) dedicating it to someone or something wordnet
  2. 7
    The deliberate or negligent surrender of all rights to property. countable, uncountable

    "the dedication of this right-of-way"

  3. 8
    a message that makes a pledge wordnet
  4. 9
    a ceremony in which something (as a building) is dedicated to some goal or purpose wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
commitmentconsecrationabandonacknowledgmentacknowledgmentsaddress

Example

More examples

"Hard work and dedication will bring you success."

Etymology

Originated 1350–1400 from Middle English dedicacioun, from Old French dedicacion (“consecration of a church or chapel”), from Latin dēdicātiō, equivalent to dēdicātus+-iōn.

Related phrases

baby dedication

More for "dedication"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.