dedicate
/ˈdɛdɪˌkeɪt/verb, noun
dedicate is spelled D-E-D-I-C-A-T-E: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 3.2 times per million words in written English, the 14,731st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, dedicate means “To set apart for a deity or for religious purposes; consecrate” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in dedicate?
| Letters | 8: D-E-D-I-C-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.2 times per million words; the 14,731st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is dedicate?
Dedicate appears 3.2 times per million words in written English, the 14,731st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce dedicate?
- US /ˈdɛdɪˌkeɪt/
As an adjective (“Dedicated; set apart; devoted; consecrated”): /ˈdɛdɪˌkɪt/.
Dedicate has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-dedicate.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of dedicate
- dedicates present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- dedicating participle, present
- dedicated participle, past
- more dedicate comparative
- most dedicate superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does dedicate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To set apart for a deity or for religious purposes; consecrate.
- 2
To set apart for a special use.
dedicated their money to scientific research.
- 3
To commit (oneself) to a particular course of thought or action.
dedicated ourselves to starting our own business.
- 4
To address or inscribe (a literary work, for example) to another as a mark of respect or affection.
- 5
To open (a building, for example) to public use.
- 6
To show to the public for the first time.
dedicate a monument.
noun
- 1
One who dedicates themselves, or who is dedicated, to the service of some leader, religion, etc.
adjective
- 1
obsoleteDedicated; set apart; devoted; consecrated.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Dedicate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | consacrer, vouer , destiner , se consacrer, se dévouer , dédier |
| German | widmen , sich widmen |
| Portuguese | dedicar , inaugurar |
| Spanish | dedicar , destinar , dedicarse , inaugurar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does dedicate come from?
From Middle English dedicaten (“to dedicate”), from dedicat(e) (“dedicated”, also used as the past participle of dedicaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), from Latin dēdicātus, the perfect passive participle of dēdicō (“to dedicate, proclaim”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).