consecrate
/'kɔnsikrit - 'kɔnsikreit/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb (transitive):
- To make or declare something sacred or holy through a religious ceremony or ritual: This is the primary religious meaning, involving a formal act of dedication to a divine purpose.
- To dedicate something solemnly to a particular purpose or service: This extends the meaning to a serious, often lifelong, commitment, not always religious.
- To ordain someone as a bishop in certain Christian churches: A specific ecclesiastical usage.
Adjective:
- Made or declared sacred; dedicated to a religious purpose: Describes something that has undergone the act of consecration.
Usage and Examples
Verb:
- The priest will consecrate the new altar during the ceremony. (To make holy through ritual)
- She consecrated her life to helping the poor. (To dedicate solemnly to a purpose)
- The cathedral is where bishops are consecrated. (To ordain as a bishop)
Adjective:
- Only the consecrated wine is used for communion. (Made sacred)
- They built a small consecrated chapel on the grounds. (Dedicated to religious use)
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- "Consecrate to": This is the most common prepositional phrase, indicating the target of the dedication.
- He consecrated the battlefield to the memory of the fallen soldiers.
- The adjective form is less common than the verb form and is typically used in religious or formal contexts.
Variants and Related Words
- Consecration (noun): The act of consecrating or the state of being consecrated.
- The consecration of the church took place in 1890.
- Consecrated (adjective or past participle): As shown above.
- Reconsecrate (verb): To consecrate again.
- They had to reconsecrate the church after the fire.
Synonyms
- Verb: Sanctify, hallow, dedicate, devote, ordain.
- Adjective: Sacred, hallowed, sanctified, dedicated.
Antonyms
- Verb: Desecrate, profane, deconsecrate.
- Adjective: Profane, secular, unconsecrated.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- To consecrate oneself to: To devote oneself entirely to.
- She consecrated herself to a life of study.
- While not a phrasal verb, the construction "consecrate X as Y" is used, particularly in the context of declaring something sacred.
- The ancient tree was consecrated as a shrine.
Adjective
- solemnly dedicated to or set apart for a high purpose
- a life consecrated to science
- the consecrated chapel
- a chapel dedicated to the dead of World War II
Verb
- render holy by means of religious rites
- dedicate to a deity by a vow
- give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause
- She committed herself to the work of God
- give one's talents to a good cause
- consecrate your life to the church
- appoint to a clerical posts
- he was ordained in the Church