devote

Devote is a verb meaning to give all or most of one's time, energy, or resources to a person, activity, or cause. It is transitive and typically takes a direct object plus a to-phrase indicating what is being aimed at, as in devote one's time to research or devote resources to a humanitarian project. It can also be used with oneself as the object: she devoted herself to teaching.

Etymology: Devote comes from Latin devotus or devotare, through Old French and Middle English, with cognates in several Romance languages. Related forms include devotion (the state of being devoted), devoted (adjective), and devotee (a person who is devoted to a cause or practice).

Usage notes: Devote emphasizes sustained commitment and personal involvement; it often carries a positive or commendable connotation. It is similar to dedicate, but devote tends to imply more emotional investment or long duration. In secular contexts, you say you devote time or resources to something; in religious language, devotion remains common but the sense can be broader.

Examples: She devoted years to solving the problem. The foundation devotes most of its funds to disaster relief. He devoted himself to his craft.

See also: devotion, dedication, devotee, dedicate.