destine

verb

des·​tine ˈde-stən 

destined; destining

transitive verb

1

: to decree beforehand : predetermine

was not destined to attain the throne

2

a

: 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

Synonyms

• doom
• ordain
• fate

Examples of destine in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

His late driving finish in the semi-final second leg seemed destined to send them into the final, only for Inter to conjure an even later sucker punch. —Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025

Not every artificial intelligence breakthrough is destined to change the world. —Leslie Katz, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025

Is Robert Livingston’s defense destined to make every QB1 with legs look like the second coming of Haynes King, the Georgia Tech signal-caller who ran wild in CU’s opener? —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 13 Sep. 2025

The Yankees seem destined for October, but Volpe's struggles could keep them from making a deep run. —Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French destiner, from Latin destinare, from de- + -stinare (akin to Latin stare to stand) — more at stand

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for destine

• clandestine
• intestine
• progestin

Kids Definition

destine

verb

des·​tine ˈdes-tən 

destined; destining

1

: to settle in advance

a plan destined to fail

2

: to choose, assign, or dedicate in advance

destined their child for the study of law

3

: to be bound or directed

a ship destined for New York