Definition of ordainnext
1
as in to destine
to determine the fate of in advance he is stoic in the face of adversity, bolstered by his faith that everything in life has been ordained by a higher power

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to order
to request the doing of by virtue of one's authority a new bill that would ordain the funding of public schools through state lottery revenues

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in to enact
to put into effect through legislative or authoritative action the founders of the African republic ordained a form of government that was closely modeled on that of the United States

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ordain So what if the credulous smallfolk now believe that the Usurper’s rule is ordained by the Gods? — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026 The program was slowly implemented, and the first native African ministers ordained in Kenya, Ishmael Semler and William Jones, were ordained in 1885. — Stephanie Triplettall, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026 Wexler was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2017. — Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026 He was ordained at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1985 and was awarded a Doctor of Divinity degree in 2010. — Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for ordain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordain
Verb
  • Related Stories Rice, however, was not destined to advise on matters of Uno and Matchbox cars.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The company explicitly framed the ultra-high-tech monster as the roadmap for a rollout of seven new road-going models destined for global markets over the next four years.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Xuan and Zhang, who have pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing through their attorneys, were ordered held in lieu of $20 million bail.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • According to police, one of the suspects held a security guard at gunpoint, forced the guard to turn over his weapon and ordered him to face down on the ground before the group forced entry into the building.
    — Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The legislation enacts new work requirements and greater vetting for Medicaid, the low-income program that thousands of Alaskans depend on for healthcare.
    — Matthew Choi The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
  • But Marxists who dreamed of a workers’ republic could not compete with the reformers in Congress who enacted such measures as a progressive income tax, antitrust legislation, and a ban on child labor.
    — Michael Kazin, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Some economists argued that government attempts to intervene in the economy were doomed to fail.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Efforts to institute regulations at an international level are often doomed to fail, typically because of geopolitical and economic competition.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The new agent would then deal with the team on the player's behalf in requesting a trade — which is rarely a pleasant conversation.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • That total included voters who requested ballots delivered by mail, as well as those who requested print-at-home ballots via email, the SBE said.
    — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Grid current passes through silicon carbide transistors that switch at high frequency before sending it through a small conventional transformer, preserving the essential electrical isolation between the grid and everything downstream.
    — Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Those who could passed the task on to domestic workers or commercial laundries.
    — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 19 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Ordain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordain. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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