ordain

1 of 2

verb

or·​dain ȯr-ˈdān 

ordained; ordaining; ordains

transitive verb

1

: to invest (see invest entry 2 sense 1) officially (as by the laying on of hands) with ministerial or priestly authority

was ordained as a priest

2

a

: to establish or order by appointment, decree, or law : enact

We the people … do ordain and establish this Constitution …

—U.S. Constitution

b

: destine, foreordain

It is futile to try to avoid what destiny has ordained.

intransitive verb

: to issue an order

so the gods have ordained

ordainer noun

ordainment

ȯr-ˈdān-mənt 

noun

ordainer

2 of 2

noun

or·​dain·​er

-nə(r)

plural -s

1

: one that ordains

2

often capitalized : one of a commission of 21 nobles and prelates appointed under Edward II in 1310 to frame ordinances especially for regulating the king's household

Synonyms of ordain

Verb

• destine
• doom

Examples of ordain in a Sentence

Verb

She is an ordained minister.

The process was ordained by law.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The award-winning scholar was the first American ordained as a monk in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition after studying under the 14th Dalai Lama, close friend Tenzin Gyatso, as noted in a 1996 New York Times profile. —Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 17 June 2026

The list is a veritable who’s-who in golf, and winning in Cromwell has become a priority since the event was ordained with Signature Event status in 2024. —Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 16 June 2026

Both the actor and understudy for Friar Lawrence have been formally ordained as officiants to further merge romance, art and life. —Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026

And the Catholic and Orthodox churches — the world’s two largest Christian communions — ordain only men to the priesthood. —Peter Smith, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English ordeinen, from Anglo-French ordener, ordeiner, from Late Latin ordinare, from Latin, to put in order, appoint, from ordin-, ordo order

Noun

Middle English ordeinour, from Old French ordeneor, from ordener + -eor -or

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for ordain

• abstain
• airplane
• alkane
• arcane
• arraign
• attain
• backplane
• betaine
• biplane
• blockchain
• butane
• campaign

Kids Definition

ordain

verb

or·​dain ȯr-ˈdān 

1

: to make a person a Christian minister or priest by a special ceremony

2

a

: decree entry 2

it was ordained by law

b

: destine sense 1

we seem ordained to fail