From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishconsecratecon‧se‧crate /ˈkɒnsəkreɪt $ ˈkɑːn-/ verb [transitive] 1 RRCto officially state in a special religious ceremony that a place or building is holy and can be used for religious purposes The bones will be reburied in consecrated ground.2 RRCto officially state in a special religious ceremony that someone is now a priest, bishop etc —consecration /ˌkɒnsəˈkreɪʃən $ ˌkɑːn-/ noun [uncountable]→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
consecrate• On 26 September 1406 he was consecrated at Mortlake after his promotion to the see of London.• Here he was following a precedent created by Lanfranc, who had already consecrated bishops of Dublin in 1074 and 1085.• He refused only to renew his own homage or to recognize or consecrate bishops whom the king had invested.• Many of us believe that consecrated bread is the actual body of Godone and the same.• Wakefield was consecrated in Hatfield on 28 October 1375.• The power of the church that consecrated the Bishops of Alba against the power of a dead and discredited Pope.• The Pope will consecrate the new parish church during his visit to his homeland.• For certainly, once the chapel is built and consecrated, there will be pilgrims coming from all over Normandy.consecrated ground• And the bones will be reburied in consecrated ground.Origin consecrate (1300-1400) Latin past participle of consecrare, from com- ( → COM-) + sacrare ( → SACRED) 