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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ordain
Many African Anglican churches refuse to ordain female priests.
—
Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Mullally was ordained in 2001 and left the government three years later for church roles at Salisbury Cathedral and then becoming only the fourth woman bishop in the Church of England as the Suffragan Bishop of Crediton in the Diocese of Exeter.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Mullally became a Christian at age 16 and worked as a nurse before being ordained.
—Elizabeth Pritchett , Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Qualified people who could be priests except for archaic laws that no longer serve us continue to wait to be invited into the ranks of those who have been ordained.
—Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordain
Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Mullally was ordained in 2001 and left the government three years later for church roles at Salisbury Cathedral and then becoming only the fourth woman bishop in the Church of England as the Suffragan Bishop of Crediton in the Diocese of Exeter.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Mullally became a Christian at age 16 and worked as a nurse before being ordained.
—Elizabeth Pritchett , Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Qualified people who could be priests except for archaic laws that no longer serve us continue to wait to be invited into the ranks of those who have been ordained.
—Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordain
Verb
-
Such institutions may be destined to pass away.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Contributor Yelena Moroz Alpert says this Dyson Animal 3 saved a dirty carpet in her home that was destined for the dumpster.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Meyer ordered Evans to certify the ballot measure for the 2024 and 2026 general elections.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Additional a la carte items are available to add on or order separately.—
Elaine Rewolinski,
jsonline.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Though the Maldives is the first country to enact such a ban, similar proposals have been debated – and nearly imposed – in other parts of the world.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
-
President Woodrow Wilson enacted the Cloture Rule in 1917, requiring a two-thirds majority vote to pass legislation and prevent prolonged speeches from halting debate.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Batherson’s mistake was the biggest among a series of them that doomed the Senators against the Canadiens in a 4-3 overtime loss.—
Julian McKenzie,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
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Like Ferrante’s protagonists, the two women share a friendship that is both cemented and doomed by their unusual intelligence.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In Akita, local authorities requested formal military assistance from Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, saying their existing measures – including box traps and bear repellent sprays – weren’t enough.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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Customers whose flights are canceled for any reason are able to request a refund without any penalty.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In response, Delaware last March passed a law to make the state more alluring, to which Texas quickly counter-punched with an even friendlier law.—
Geoff Colvin,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
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No ordinance was passed that declared the bottom 5 percent of Burgher children (later raised to 10) superfluous, but this was the beginning of a long period of economic contraction throughout the empire, and competition for a dwindling supply of guild positions became intense.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ordain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordain. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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