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
Craig was ordained as a Baptist preacher, a calling that would prove pivotal not only in his spiritual community but also in Kentucky's civic and economic development, then a rugged territory of the United States.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
But highly damaged Mark, whose upbringing was evidently a nightmare of abuse, has found salvation, or at least escape: He’s ordained himself a servant of the Lord, holding improvisational services in the prison chapel to a paltry flock.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 20 June 2025
Pope Leo was ordained in 1981 and is a member of the Order of Saint Augustine.
—Mark Guarino, ABC News, 14 June 2025
It is not ordained that a currency and a nation will hold its place at the center of commerce.
—Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordain
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Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
But highly damaged Mark, whose upbringing was evidently a nightmare of abuse, has found salvation, or at least escape: He’s ordained himself a servant of the Lord, holding improvisational services in the prison chapel to a paltry flock.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 20 June 2025
Pope Leo was ordained in 1981 and is a member of the Order of Saint Augustine.
—Mark Guarino, ABC News, 14 June 2025
It is not ordained that a currency and a nation will hold its place at the center of commerce.
—Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordain
Cite this Entry
“Ordain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ordain. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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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