consecrate Meaning
- formal
- literary
To consecrate something is to declare it sacred or to set it apart for a divine or holy purpose. The mental image is that of a ritualistic blessing, where an object, building, or person is transitioned from the ordinary or "profane" world into a state of dedicated reverence. This term is almost exclusively used in religious, solemn, or grand contexts. You will most often hear it regarding the dedication of a church, the blessing of sacramental elements, or metaphorically, to describe someone dedicating their life entirely to a high moral cause or noble pursuit.
consecrate in Conversation
Planning a church event
- Sarah: Are we ready for the bishop to arrive?Are we ready for the bishop to arrive?
- Mark: Yes, he will consecrate the new altar this afternoon.Yes, he will consecrate the new altar this afternoon.
Used here in its literal religious sense for dedicating a holy object.
Discussing a career path
- Elena: He left a high-paying law firm to work in hospice care.He left a high-paying law firm to work in hospice care.
- David: It’s like he has consecrated his life to the service of the dying.It’s like he has consecrated his life to the service of the dying.
Used metaphorically to describe a life-long devotion to a noble cause.
Examples
The priest will consecrate the water.
The priest will consecrate the water.
The king was consecrated in a grand ceremony at the cathedral.
The king was consecrated in a grand ceremony at the cathedral.
She felt that her artistic talent was a gift she must consecrate to the pursuit of truth.
She felt that her artistic talent was a gift she must consecrate to the pursuit of truth.