consecrate

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin cōnsecrāre, cōnsecrātus.

Pronunciation

• Verb
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒnsəkɹeɪt/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑnsəkɹeɪt/
• Adjective
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒnsəkɹət/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑnsəkɹət/
• Hyphenation: con‧se‧crate

Verb

consecrate (third-person singular simple present consecrates, present participle consecrating, simple past and past participle consecrated)

1. (transitive) To declare something holy, or make it holy by some procedure.

   Synonyms: behallow, hallow; see also Thesaurus:consecrate

   Antonyms: desecrate, defile; see also Thesaurus:desecrate

   • 1863 November 19, Abraham Lincoln, Dedicatory Remarks (Gettysburg Address)‎, near Soldiers' National Cemetery, →LCCN, Bliss copy, page 2:

     But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.

2. (transitive, Roman Catholicism, specifically) To ordain as a bishop.
3. (transitive) To commit (oneself or one's time) solemnly to some aim or task.

Derived terms

• consecrate a Buddha image

Related terms

• consecration

Translations

Adjective

consecrate (comparative more consecrate, superlative most consecrate)

1. Consecrated; devoted; dedicated; sacred.
   • 1622, Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban [i.e. Francis Bacon], The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, , London: W Stansby for Matthew Lownes, and William Barret, →OCLC:

     They were assembled in that consecrate place.

Anagrams

• concreates

Latin

Verb

cōnsecrāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of cōnsecrō