dedication
Pluraldedications (some meanings)
- 1The act of devoting something to a purpose or person, or the quality of being deeply committed to a goal or cause.
Her dedication to the team never wavered, even after a losing season.
Years of dedication earned him first chair in the national orchestra.
Similarcommitment, devotion, loyalty, diligence
Oppositeindifference, apathy
Note
The root sense, and originally a sacred one: Old French dedicacion meant the consecration of a church or chapel, from Latin dēdicātiō. The religious setting has since faded, and the word now most often names a quality of character: people work with dedication, and someone's dedication is admirable. In this use it takes no plural; dedications are the note prefacing a work or the opening ceremony.
- 2A note addressed to a patron, friend, or loved one at the front of a book or other creative work, expressing respect or affection.
The dedication in her first novel reads, 'For my mother, who believed.'
He composed a heartfelt dedication to his mentor for the album's liner notes.
Similarinscription
- 3An event, or the ceremony celebrating it, that marks the official completion, opening, or beginning of something.
The mayor spoke at the dedication of the new library.
A dedication ceremony for the war memorial drew veterans from across the state.
Similaropening, inauguration, unveiling
Note
Of all the senses, this one stays nearest the church consecrations behind the general act of dedicating. A building or memorial is formally set apart for its purpose. Its near-synonym is inauguration. As a countable noun it is often followed by of, as in the dedication of the new library, or used before another noun, as in a dedication ceremony.
- 4The act of giving up all rights to a piece of property, whether done deliberately or through negligence.
The court ruled that the developer's dedication of the strip created a permanent public right of way.
By allowing public access for decades without objection, the family risked dedication of the trail to public use.
Note
Property law uses the word for land given over to public use, such as a road, a trail or a right-of-way. A dedication can be express, made through a formal act. It can also be implied from conduct, such as an owner's long acquiescence in public passage. This is why negligence alone can amount to one, and why lawyers speak of the dedication of a right-of-way.
Practice
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Origin
Recorded around 1350–1400, it comes from Middle English dedicacioun, from Old French dedicacion ("consecration of a church or chapel"), which in turn derives from Latin dēdicātiō.