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
According to his biography on the New York archdiocese website, Dolan was ordained into the priesthood by the Archdiocese of Saint Louis on June 19, 1976.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
Though several unlicensed Beatles archives exist around the United Kingdom—including in the band’s Liverpool hometown—the new one, formally named The Beatles at 3 Savile Row, is the first to be officially ordained by the band and its label, Apple Corps.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 11 May 2026
Martin was ordained in 1999 and began working full-time as an editor at America, a Jesuit magazine.
—René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026
Shortly before the Constitution was written, Haynes would become the first Black minister ordained in the United States.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ordain
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Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
Though several unlicensed Beatles archives exist around the United Kingdom—including in the band’s Liverpool hometown—the new one, formally named The Beatles at 3 Savile Row, is the first to be officially ordained by the band and its label, Apple Corps.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 11 May 2026
Martin was ordained in 1999 and began working full-time as an editor at America, a Jesuit magazine.
—René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026
Shortly before the Constitution was written, Haynes would become the first Black minister ordained in the United States.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 4 May 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 19 May. 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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