devote oneself to

USAGE SUMMARY

'devote oneself to' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it whenever you want to talk about someone dedicating their time, energy, and effort to something. For example: She has devoted herself to teaching for the last twenty years.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

The incentive to devote oneself to the long-term glory of the employer was suddenly gone.

The New York Times - Magazine

To read a book is to devote oneself to the book.

The Guardian - Books

Why devote oneself to begonias? A. My specialty is herbaceous plants.

The New York Times - Science

To devote oneself to the pursuit of the latter – at all costs – is to limit one's access to the former.

The Guardian - Music

To devote oneself to the form was to risk being called a conservative, a nostalgist, a manufacturer of bourgeois museum pieces; twentieth-century symphonies tended to be tonal in orientation and spacious in design, the musical equivalent of landscape painting.

The New Yorker

No human life can consist solely in these pure pleasures; and in certain circumstances one may owe it to one's community to forego a philosophical life and devote oneself to the good of the city.

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

It's not the simple picture of stopping work at 60 or 65, moving to Florida and devoting oneself to golf and bridge — not that it was ever totally that.

The New York Times

The piece not only concerns Seurat's particular obsessions, but also extends itself to the problems of art-making more generally, of the detriments and dividends of devoting oneself to creative work.

The Guardian

The whales show up, and while a bordered box accompanying each one summarizes the bridge gibberish in layman's terms, it is difficult to enjoy "The Cardturner" without devoting oneself to an at least cursory understanding of sentences like "Dummy's got king, queen, ten of spades, and I'm sitting behind it with ace, four, doubleton".

The New York Times - Books

There could be a psychological element, too, rooted in the motives for devoting oneself to a documentary subject for years, and the extraordinary duration of production (and pre-production, and post-production, and distribution — in which filmmakers themselves are increasingly involved) is also a matter of difficulties in finding financing.

The New Yorker

Song society was also built on social relationships governed not by abstract principles, but on the protection gained by devoting oneself to a superior.

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "devote oneself to", ensure the object of dedication is clearly defined and aligns with the subject's values or goals.

Common error

Avoid using the passive voice with "devote oneself to". Instead of saying 'Time was devoted to the project', say 'She devoted time to the project' for a more direct and impactful statement.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "devote oneself to" is to act as a verb phrase indicating a deliberate act of dedicating one's time, energy, or resources towards a specific purpose or activity. This is supported by Ludwig AI, which confirms its correct usage in English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "devote oneself to" is a grammatically sound and useful phrase for expressing dedication and commitment. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is correctly used in English writing. While not extremely common, it appears frequently enough in reputable sources like The New York Times and academic publications to be considered a valuable part of one's vocabulary. When using this phrase, ensure clarity in what you are dedicating yourself to and avoid passive voice constructions for a stronger impact. For alternatives, consider phrases like "dedicate oneself to" or "commit oneself to" to add nuance to your expression.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

dedicate oneself to

Uses 'dedicate' instead of 'devote', implying a slightly more formal commitment.

commit oneself to

Emphasizes the act of making a firm decision to pursue something.

dedicate one's life to

Highlights a long-term, significant investment of time and effort.

apply oneself to

Focuses on the effort and diligence put into a task or activity.

give oneself over to

Suggests a complete surrender and immersion in something.

immerse oneself in

Implies deep involvement and absorption in an activity or subject.

be engrossed in

Highlights the captivating nature of the activity, leading to dedication.

be absorbed in

Similar to 'engrossed in', but focuses more on mental absorption.

set one's heart on

Emphasizes emotional investment and desire in pursuing something.

focus one's energies on

Highlights the concentration of effort and resources on a specific goal.

FAQs

How to use "devote oneself to" in a sentence?

Use "devote oneself to" to describe dedicating time and energy to something. For example, "She "devoted herself to" environmental conservation."

What can I say instead of "devote oneself to"?

You can use alternatives like "dedicate oneself to", "commit oneself to", or "dedicate one's life to" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "devote to" instead of "devote oneself to"?

While "devote to" can be used, it often requires a different sentence structure. "Devote oneself to" specifically indicates a personal commitment, whereas "devote to" might refer to allocating resources or time.

What's the difference between "devote oneself to" and "give oneself to"?

"Devote oneself to" implies dedication and effort towards a specific goal, while "give oneself over to" suggests a more complete surrender or immersion in an experience or activity.