consecrate

/ˈkɒnsəkɹeɪt/

//ˈkɒnsəkɹeɪt// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"consecrate" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“consecrate” is uncommon English (frequency #57,951 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#57,951
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To declare something holy, or make it holy by some procedure.

Corpus desk

Index EN-consecrate · consecrate · English

consecrate · rank #57,951 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #57,951
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH conic

Nearest frequency peer: conic (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “consecrate”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “consecrate” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for consecrate
PropertyValue
Headwordconsecrate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈkɒnsəkɹeɪt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#57,951
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “consecrate” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).consecratefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “conic” (#57,950), “commissariat” (#57,947), “Corinna” (#57,955). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “consecrate” is #57,951. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

consecrate is uncommon English at frequency #57,951 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈkɒnsəkɹeɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for consecrate, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin con- Proto-Indo-European *seh₂k- Proto-Indo-European *-rós Proto-Indo-European *sh₂krós Proto-Italic *sakros Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-Europ… The correct English form is consecrate, spelled C-O-N-S-E-C-R-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To declare something holy, or make it holy by some procedure.
  2. 2
    To ordain as a bishop.
  3. 3
    To commit (oneself or one's time) solemnly to some aim or task.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how consecrate appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin con- Proto-Indo-European *seh₂k- Proto-Indo-European *-rós Proto-Indo-European *sh₂krós Proto-Italic *sakros Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Proto-Italic *sakrāō Latin sacrō Latin cōnsecrōbor. Middle English consecraten English consecrate First attested in the late 14ᵗʰ century, in Middle English; inherited from Middle English consecraten (“to dedicate, consecrate (an altar, church); to ordain (a bishop), anoint (a king, a pope); to devote one to religious life”), from consecrat(e) (“consecrated”, used as the past participle of consecraten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from Latin cōnsecrātus, perfect passive participle of cōnsecrāre, see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Synonyms

avowbehallowblesscanonizeconsecratededicatehallowinauguratemartyrsacralizesacratesaintsanctify

Antonyms

deconsecratedesacralizedesecrateprofaneuncanonizeunblessunhallowunsaint

This word in other languages

consagrar(Español)consacrer(Français)weihen(Deutsch)consagrar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "consecrate"?
"consecrate" is spelled C-O-N-S-E-C-R-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒnsəkɹeɪt/.
What does "consecrate" mean?
As a verb, "consecrate" means: To declare something holy, or make it holy by some procedure.
How do you pronounce "consecrate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "consecrate" is /ˈkɒnsəkɹeɪt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "consecrate"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin con- Proto-Indo-European *seh₂k- Proto-Indo-European *-rós Proto-Indo-European *sh₂krós Proto-Italic *sakros Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "consecrate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

chaplaincy#57,935centralize#57,930denouement#57,976employable#58,000

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list