Definition

1. 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.

2. 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

1. 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

1. render holy by means of religious rites
2. dedicate to a deity by a vow
3. 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
4. appoint to a clerical posts
   • he was ordained in the Church