destine

verb

des·tine | \ ˈde-stən

How to pronounce destine (audio)

\

destined; destining

Definition of destine

transitive verb

1 : to decree beforehand : predetermine was not destined to attain the throne

2a : to designate, assign, or dedicate in advance believed their son was destined for the priesthood destined to succeed a flaw that destines them to fail

b : to direct, devise, or set apart for a specific purpose or place freight destined for European ports

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Examples of destine in a Sentence

his extreme height seemed to destine him for a career in basketball

Recent Examples on the Web Prospective snooker fans should next watch the 1985 Snooker World Championships final between Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor, a mammoth confrontation which seemed destined never to end. — Josephine Livingstone, The New Republic, "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Vintage Snooker," 1 May 2020 But the procedural tactics — likely to be quashed — seem destined to founder on the number of Macronists who were swept into the Parliament with his En Marche party, as opponents collapsed around them. — Adam Nossiter, New York Times, "As Emmanuel Macron’s Impact Grows, So Does French Disdain," 25 Feb. 2020 Up by 13½ games in mid-August, Jackie Robinson and the Dodgers seemed destined. — Ben Walker, SFChronicle.com, "Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Carl Erskine recalls ’51 New York Giants’ sign-stealing scam," 16 Jan. 2020 Boeing might have been struggling, but McDonnell Douglas seemed destined for failure. — Natasha Frost, Quartz, "The 1997 merger that paved the way for the Boeing 737 Max crisis," 3 Jan. 2020 Despite his humble beginnings, Mr. Harrell believed he was destined for more. — Jon Caramanica, New York Times, "Andre Harrell, Executive Who Bridged Hip-Hop and R&B, Dies at 59," 9 May 2020 Zooey Deschanel and Jonathan Scott seem like they were destined to be together—but even true love has its awkward moments. — Tierney Mcafee, Country Living, "Jonathan Scott & Zooey Deschanel Joined Drew Scott's 'At Home' Podcast to Share Their Relationship Story," 2 May 2020 By the summer before his last year of college, Dr. King knew he was destined to continue the family profession of pastoral work and decided to enter the ministry. — National Geographic, "Who was Martin Luther King, Jr.?," 15 Jan. 2020 The practical impact on the Republican president in a deep blue state he is destined to lose again is negligible. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: More bumps for GOP on road to 2020 election," 18 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'destine.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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destined to become a classic

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Cite this Entry

“Destine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destine. Accessed 3 Mar. 2021.

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