Dedicate

Question

I can't see the difference between "dedicate" and "devote". They may be very close to each other, but they are two different words. I would appreciate your help.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

I first wrote that 'devote' seemed more spiritual than 'dedicate', but a look in the dictionary shows church dedications, so I thought to revise my opinion to suggest that it may be mostly a matter of collocation. Here are 20 collocations of each:

DEDICATED

1 of having Segovia for a friend and dedicated a poem to him titled "The Guitar".
2 pe by the Emperor Hadrian. It was dedicated as a church in the seventh century
3 and the self-sacrificing action of dedicated Communists like Kyo Gisors and Kat
4 one knight of the range, waging a dedicated crusade against a lawless new socie
5 his major support to a select and dedicated few from the organization which act
6 the first College Hall, a log hut dedicated "for the education + instruction of
7 tset of his career, Steinberg had dedicated himself to the advancement of cont
8 e forever the Navy to which he had dedicated his soul. Where had he failed?
9 fingered college boy but rather a dedicated, humble, and bashful apostle of thi
10 re welcome to come see what these dedicated mothers can do. @ #JOBS FOR CAVANA
11 at once more independent and more dedicated than the police themselves. He cat
12 The Seven Founders were completely dedicated to the public service. Madison onc
13 evenues from the increase would be dedicated to a grant in aid program. But
14 he soul of free enterprise. He is dedicated to building the nation's strength
15 more than any other section, was dedicated to education from the start. But I
16 le place there called Lovers Mound dedicated to Gompachi and Komurasaki". "
17 worth, and sterling honesty- all dedicated to secure the best interests of th
18 irst place, industry per se is not dedicated to the role of savior of founderin
19 o South Africa to support a system dedicated to the oppression, the persecution
20 all, the medieval guild system was dedicated to the proposition that 100 per ce

DEVOTED

1 o escape the grave. No matter how devoted a man was, no matter how fully he
2 c, brother and sister- unmarried, devoted, aging- had lived next door to the
3 ingle-minded ambition to which he devoted all his energies, he outmatched th
4 r, ample means, and withal, was a devoted Christian. The daughter profited fr
5 ook of Agriculture, 1952, which is devoted entirely to insects, George E& Boh
6 est single manufacturing facility devoted exclusively to precision machinery
7 Miss Ethel Gee, 46, and her newly devoted friend, Harry Houghton, 55, and di
8 for the autumn session. While Hans devoted himself to the sciences of medicin
9 and for the next forty-two years devoted himself to public, scientific, and
10 tewart, another Finney convert, he devoted himself to the anti-slavery cause.
11 s, cookies, candies- the result of devoted hours in the tiled kitchen. She wo
12 me up, Bang-Jensen was a fine and devoted individual. I had known him for so
13 ain because the Labour Government devoted its attention to the creation of a
14 w ascendancy. The London Universe devoted its centenary issue last December
15 t Narragansett in September 1960, devoted its session to a discussion of the
16 jurist, soldier and musician, who devoted most of his mature years to the st
17 ker and Secretary of Navy Daniels devoted much time and effort to the problem
18 positions. It reported that he now devoted only some 6-1/2 hours per month to
19 ght ring with the struggle, if we devoted ourselves exclusively to belaborin
20 eaker RAYBURN'S uniquely long and devoted service; of his championship of man

While both seem to cover a broad overlapping spectrum, it seems to me that 'devote' still often has an aura of inner focus, where 'dedicate' suggests more a conscious will.

Dedicate

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