devote

To devote is to give time, energy, resources, and even one’s life to something that is important. A person who is devoted makes sacrifices for good reasons so that something may continue.

In these sentences, the word "devote" is a verb:

• Vanessa devotes her spare time to a shelter for homeless people.
• She’s devoted to helping others. (Notice that it’s okay for a gerund to follow "devoted to.")
• It’s important for a company to devote adequate resources to train and retain employees.
• Many Catholic nuns devote their entire lives to helping people who are poor.
• Police officers have devoted their lives in order to serve the communities in which they live.
• LearnAmericanEnglishOnline.com is devoted to people around the world who want to learn English.

A nun is devoted to God.

The word "devoted" is used as an adjective:

• Bob is a devoted husband and father.
• Devoted funding for the school supports scholarships.
• Liu is a devoted daughter.

The word "devotion" is a noun:

• The teachers at that school are well known for their devotion to their students.
• Bob gave all of his love and devotion to his family.
• Years of devotion to his studies resulted in a Master’s degree.

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June 4, 2015