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
Cook, ordained in the United Church of Christ, is principal of Faith in the Public Square.
—Peter Cook, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
The first woman to become an Anglican priest was Florence Li Tim-Oi of Hong Kong, who was ordained in Zhaoqing, China, in 1944.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Grand Island in 1994 and served as vicar general and pastor of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary before his 2021 appointment to Colorado Springs, according to the archdiocese.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026
The church ordained its first female priests in 1994 and its first female bishop in 2015.
—Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ordain
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Peter Cook, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
The first woman to become an Anglican priest was Florence Li Tim-Oi of Hong Kong, who was ordained in Zhaoqing, China, in 1944.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Grand Island in 1994 and served as vicar general and pastor of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary before his 2021 appointment to Colorado Springs, according to the archdiocese.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026
The church ordained its first female priests in 1994 and its first female bishop in 2015.
—Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 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 11 Apr. 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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