tr.v., -cat·ed, -cat·ing, -cates.
- To set apart for a deity or for religious purposes; consecrate.
- To set apart for a special use: dedicated their money to scientific research.
- To commit (oneself) to a particular course of thought or action: dedicated ourselves to starting our own business. See synonyms at devote.
- To address or inscribe (a literary work, for example) to another as a mark of respect or affection.
- To open (a building, for example) to public use.
- To show to the public for the first time: dedicate a monument.
[Middle English dedicaten, from Latin dēdicāre, dēdicāt- : dē-, de- + dicāre, to proclaim.]
dedicator ded'i·ca'tor n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.