dedication
Meaning
The hard work and effort that someone puts into an activity or purpose because they believe it is very important.
The act of formally stating that a building or event is intended to honor a particular person or purpose.
A message written at the beginning of a book, piece of music, etc., saying that it was written or is being performed for a particular person.
Structure
Usage
She is known for her great dedication to her students.
The ceremony marked the dedication of the new library to the town's founder.
The book's moving dedication was to his late wife.
Etymology
The word 'dedication' originates from the Latin verb dedicare, meaning "to proclaim, to consecrate, to set apart." This verb itself is composed of the intensive prefix de- and the root dicare (a variant of dicere), "to declare." In ancient Roman practice, to dedicate something—like a temple—was to formally and solemnly declare it sacred or devoted to a deity or purpose. Over time, this sense of formal, solemn devotion broadened. The meaning evolved from a public, ritualistic declaration to encompass the more personal and abstract qualities of wholehearted commitment and the hard work that springs from it, as well as the written inscription that formally declares a work is offered to someone.
Analysis
- de: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "completely, thoroughly, away, off." - dic: Latin origin, from the root dicere meaning "to say, to declare, to proclaim." - ation: Latin-derived suffix (via Old French -ation), forming nouns of action or state.