Dedicate vs. Sacrifice — What's the Difference?

Devote (time or effort) to a particular task or purpose

Sacrifice is the offering of material possessions or the lives of animals or humans to a deity as an act of propitiation or worship. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrew and Greeks, and possibly existed before that.

To set apart for a deity or for religious purposes; consecrate.

The act of offering something to a deity in propitiation or homage, especially the ritual slaughter of an animal or a person.

To set apart for a special use

A victim offered in this way.

To commit (oneself) to a particular course of thought or action

The act of giving up something highly valued for the sake of something else considered to have a greater value or claim

To address or inscribe (a literary work, for example) to another as a mark of respect or affection.

Something given up in this way.

To open (a building, for example) to public use.

Relinquishment of something at less than its presumed value.

To show to the public for the first time

Something so relinquished.

(transitive) To set apart for a deity or for religious purposes; consecrate.

A loss so sustained.

(transitive) To set apart for a special use

(Baseball) A sacrifice bunt or sacrifice fly.

(transitive) To commit (oneself) to a particular course of thought or action

To offer as a sacrifice to a deity.

(transitive) To address or inscribe (a literary work, for example) to another as a mark of respect or affection.

To give up (one thing) for another thing considered to be of greater value.

(transitive) To open (a building, for example) to public use.

To sell or give away at a loss.

(transitive) To show to the public for the first time

To kill (an animal) for purposes of scientific research or experimentation.

(obsolete) Dedicated; set apart; devoted; consecrated.

To offer a sacrifice

One who dedicates themself, or who is dedicated, to the service of some leader, religion, etc.

To make a sacrifice

Dedicated; set apart; devoted; consecrated.

(Baseball) To make a sacrifice bunt or sacrifice fly.

To set apart and consecrate, as to a divinity, or for sacred uses; to devote formally and solemnly; as, to dedicate vessels, treasures, a temple, or a church, to a religious use.

(ambitransitive) To offer (something) as a gift to a deity.

To devote, set apart, or give up, as one's self, to a duty or service.

(transitive) To give away (something valuable) to get at least a possibility of gaining something else of value (such as self-respect, trust, love, freedom, prosperity), or to avoid an even greater loss.

To inscribe or address, as to a patron.

(transitive) To trade (a value of higher worth) for something of lesser worth in order to gain something else valued more, such as an ally or business relationship, or to avoid an even greater loss; to sell without profit to gain something other than money.

Give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause;

To intentionally give up (a piece) in order to improve one’s position on the board.

Open to public use, as of a highway, park, or building;

To advance (a runner on base) by batting the ball so it can be fielded, placing the batter out, but with insufficient time to put the runner out.

Inscribe or address by way of compliment;

To sell at a price less than the cost or actual value.

Set apart to sacred uses with solemn rites, of a church

To destroy; to kill.

(medicine) To kill a test animal for autopsy.

The offering of anything to a god; a consecratory rite.

The destruction or surrender of anything for the sake of something else; the devotion of something desirable to something higher, or to a calling deemed more pressing.

(baseball) A play in which the batter is intentionally out so that one or more runners can advance around the bases.

Something sacrificed.

A loss of profit.

A sale at a price less than the cost or the actual value.

The offering of anything to God, or to a god; consecratory rite.

Anything consecrated and offered to God, or to a divinity; an immolated victim, or an offering of any kind, laid upon an altar, or otherwise presented in the way of religious thanksgiving, atonement, or conciliation.

Destruction or surrender of anything for the sake of something else; devotion of some desirable object in behalf of a higher object, or to a claim deemed more pressing; hence, also, the thing so devoted or given up; as, the sacrifice of interest to pleasure, or of pleasure to interest.

A sale at a price less than the cost or the actual value.

To make an offering of; to consecrate or present to a divinity by way of expiation or propitiation, or as a token acknowledgment or thanksgiving; to immolate on the altar of God, in order to atone for sin, to procure favor, or to express thankfulness; as, to sacrifice an ox or a sheep.

Hence, to destroy, surrender, or suffer to be lost, for the sake of obtaining something; to give up in favor of a higher or more imperative object or duty; to devote, with loss or suffering.

To destroy; to kill.

To sell at a price less than the cost or the actual value.

To make offerings to God, or to a deity, of things consumed on the altar; to offer sacrifice.

The act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc.

Personnel that are sacrificed (e.g., surrendered or lost in order to gain an objective)

A loss entailed by giving up or selling something at less than its value;

The act of killing (an animal or person) in order to propitiate a deity

(sacrifice) an out that advances the base runners

Endure the loss of;

Kill or destroy;

Sell at a loss

Make a sacrifice of; in religious rituals