ORDAINING Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

ordaining

verb

present participle of ordain

as in destining

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

as in ordering

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in enacting

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 ordaining Bishop Felix Davidek responded by secretly ordaining married men and some women, including Ludmila Javorová. — Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 The church began ordaining women as priests in the 1980s, beginning with Lucia Okuthe of the diocese of Maseno South in 1983. — Stephanie Triplettall, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026 The Vatican said dialogue was offered to the group ahead of the schism and that the step of ordaining bishops without ⁠church approval was considered so grave that excommunication was automatic. — Reuters, NBC news, 5 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordaining

Verb

The lemmings Trump has placed in positions of power would join in the ridicule, dooming such a candidate’s chances at the GOP nomination.

— Colleen Kujawa, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
The implicit villain in that critique was Senator Joe Manchin, the West Virginia Democrat who refused to go along with changing the Senate rules, dooming many of Biden’s legislative ambitions.

— Isaac Arnsdorf, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of dooming

Verb

There was no mention of a funeral in Adrien’s letter, and for a moment, Adelaide indulged the thought of ordering a carriage for Moscow.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
Ask me before adding anything to my calendar, ordering something or contacting anyone.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of ordering

Verb

In our moment of reckoning, most of the current momentum is going toward enacting social media bans for kids younger than 16.

— Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Let them — especially the new governor, presumably Xavier Becerra — consider enacting new CEQA reforms, holding months of public hearings and ultimately compromising on a deal.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of enacting

Verb

The district attorney’s office is requesting a jury trial and the two cases are expected to be consolidated for a single trial, according to WTAE.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
The White House did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment Sunday night.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of requesting

Verb

Not only is the rush defense slightly worse than the passing defense, but if the running game is going, the clock is running, and that leaves less time for Purdy to operate on offense.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
The result will be a noticeably more autumnal day than any of late, with passing clouds and a crisp breeze.

— Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of passing

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“Ordaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordaining. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of ordaining

verb

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