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
Most of his time was either in Peru or in Rome, so his experience was -- while growing up American, his experience after college and certainly after being ordained a priest was -- was always much more global, much more international.
—Isabel Danzis, ABC News, 11 May 2025
But Prevost opposes ordaining women as deacons, for instance, so he's seen as conservative on church doctrine.
—May 8, CBS News, 9 May 2025
Equality for women Like his predecessor, Leo opposes the idea of ordaining female deacons.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 9 May 2025
Born and raised in Chicago, Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost entered the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1981.
—Asher Notheis, The Washington Examiner, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordain
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Isabel Danzis, ABC News, 11 May 2025
But Prevost opposes ordaining women as deacons, for instance, so he's seen as conservative on church doctrine.
—May 8, CBS News, 9 May 2025
Equality for women Like his predecessor, Leo opposes the idea of ordaining female deacons.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 9 May 2025
Born and raised in Chicago, Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost entered the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1981.
—Asher Notheis, The Washington Examiner, 8 May 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 21 May. 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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