Definition of CONSECRATING (original) (raw)
: dedicated to a sacred purpose
1
: to induct (a person) into a permanent office with a religious rite
especially : to ordain to the office of bishop
2
a
: to make or declare sacred
especially : to devote irrevocably to the worship of God by a solemn ceremony
c
: to devote to a purpose with or as if with deep solemnity or dedication
3
: to make inviolable or venerable
principles consecrated by the weight of history
Synonyms
Choose the Right Synonym for consecrate
devoted his evenings to study
dedicate implies solemn and exclusive devotion to a sacred or serious use or purpose.
dedicated her life to medical research
consecrate stresses investment with a solemn or sacred quality.
consecrate a church to the worship of God
hallow, often differing little from dedicate or consecrate, may distinctively imply an attribution of intrinsic sanctity.
battlegrounds hallowed by the blood of patriots
Examples of consecrate in a Sentence
Adjective
the consecrate gold tablets which Joseph Smith claimed to have found Verb
a philanthropist who consecrated his considerable fortune to an array of charitable causes plans to consecrate the altar in the new church with great ceremony
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Lana Del Rey doesn’t toy with signs—of American glamour and its decay, of female melancholia and racial desire—so much as consecrate them. —
Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2023
In its operation, however, the ICC consecrated a much more restricted international legal order, one that effectively presumed that grave atrocity crimes are the province only of the non-Western world. —Oumar Ba, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2021 Nearby is Duomo di Modena, consecrated in 1184, the former seat of the Diocese, later Archdiocese, of Modena. —Jordan Riefe, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for consecrate 
Word History
Etymology
Verb and Adjective
Middle English, from Latin consecratus, past participle of consecrare, from com- + sacrare to consecrate — more at sacred
First Known Use
Adjective
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of consecrate was in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near consecrate
Cite this Entry
“Consecrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consecrate. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.
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