predestination

noun

pre·​des·​ti·​na·​tion (ˌ)prē-ˌde-stə-ˈnā-shən 

ˌprē-de-

1

: the act of predestinating : the state of being predestinated

2

: the doctrine that God in consequence of his foreknowledge of all events infallibly guides those who are destined for salvation

Examples of predestination in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Other doctrines like predestination (where some people are chosen for salvation and others are damned) have further broken the world into separate spheres. — Casper Ter Kuile, Vox, 16 Sep. 2026

This book is meant to be read as a novel, from first page to last, but regardless, the pieces emerge and resonate with one another in an arc that begins with generational predestination and ends in transformation. — Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026

But Slumdog Millionaire, a feel-good comedy drama about predestination and game shows, is the one that won him all the glory. — Jordan Hoffman, Vanity Fair, 16 Mar. 2026

The narrative addresses the idea of predestination and, in a way, debunks it. — Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 28 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for predestination

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Kids Definition

predestination

noun

pre·​des·​ti·​na·​tion (ˌ)prē-ˌdes-tə-ˈnā-shən 

1

a

: the act of predestining

b

: the state of being predestined

2

: the doctrine that God has predestined some persons to eternal happiness and others to eternal punishment