ordained; ordaining; ordains
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
U.S. Constitution
b
: destine, foreordain
It is futile to try to avoid what destiny has ordained.
: to issue an order
so the gods have ordained
ordainer
noun
Examples of ordain in a Sentence
She is an ordained minister.
The process was ordained by law.
Recent Examples on the Web
After the war, he was ordained and served as a minister at the Steele Creek Presbyterian Church from 1804 until his death in 1827.
—
Charlotte Observer,
23 June 2026
In 1962, Lazowski was ordained and served as the spiritual leader of Beth Shalom Synagogue in Hartford until 1969.
—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
21 June 2026
John Rahimi, Raymond Grieshaber, and Conrad Espino were ordained on Saturday morning during a ceremony at Holy Name Cathedral on the city's Near North Side.
—
Cbs Chicago Team,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for ordain
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Charlotte Observer,
23 June 2026
In 1962, Lazowski was ordained and served as the spiritual leader of Beth Shalom Synagogue in Hartford until 1969.
—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
21 June 2026
John Rahimi, Raymond Grieshaber, and Conrad Espino were ordained on Saturday morning during a ceremony at Holy Name Cathedral on the city's Near North Side.
—
Cbs Chicago Team,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for ordain
Cite this Entry
“Ordain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ordain. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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