devotion
noun
de·vo·tion
di-ˈvō-shən 
dē-
1
b
: an act of prayer or private worship
—usually used in plural
during his morning devotions
c
: a religious exercise or practice other than the regular corporate (see corporate sense 2) worship of a congregation
2
a
: the act of dedicating something to a cause, enterprise, or activity : the act of devoting
the devotion of a great deal of time and energy
b
: the fact or state of being ardently dedicated and loyal
her devotion to the cause
filial devotion
3
obsolete
: the object of one's devotion
Did you know?
Devotion Has Latin Roots
Devotion and the verb devote come from the act of taking a vow (the Latin verb vovēre means "to vow"). Devote was once used as an adjective that could mean either "devout" or "devoted." While devout implies faithfulness of a religious nature ("a devout parishioner), devoted refers to one's commitment to another through love and loyalty ("a singer's devoted fans").
Synonyms
Examples of devotion in a Sentence
She has cared for the poor with selfless devotion.
The devotion they felt for each other was obvious.
The project will require the devotion of a great deal of time and money.
They spend an hour each morning at their devotions.
Recent Examples on the Web
Getting that experience often requires full-time devotion to a degree, moving to another city, and investing upwards of $100k.
—
Mark Dent, thehustle.co, 8 Nov. 2024
Families wait with respect and devotion for the souls to return and share the food and drink on the altar.
—Arath Zumaya Muñoz, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2024
Bruichladdich, known for its devotion to Islay's barley provenance and on-island operations, was the first Scotch whisky distillery to earn a B Corp certification.
—Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
One of the chapters in Cherish recounts the story of Ronald Herrick, one of Charles' teachers, whose devotion to his brother, Richard, led to a groundbreaking organ transplant when both men were in their later 20s.
—Johnny Dodd, People.com, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for devotion 
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Mark Dent, thehustle.co, 8 Nov. 2024
Families wait with respect and devotion for the souls to return and share the food and drink on the altar.
—Arath Zumaya Muñoz, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2024
Bruichladdich, known for its devotion to Islay's barley provenance and on-island operations, was the first Scotch whisky distillery to earn a B Corp certification.
—Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
One of the chapters in Cherish recounts the story of Ronald Herrick, one of Charles' teachers, whose devotion to his brother, Richard, led to a groundbreaking organ transplant when both men were in their later 20s.
—Johnny Dodd, People.com, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for devotion
Dictionary Entries Near devotion
Cite this Entry
“Devotion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devotion. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
devotion
noun
de·vo·tion
di-ˈvō-shən
1
a
: strong religious feeling
b
: a religious exercise or practice other than the regular worship of a congregation
2
a
: the act of devoting or the quality of being devoted
b
: strong love, affection, or dedication
devotional
adjective
-shnəl
-shən-ᵊl
devotionally
adverb
-ē
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