predestine
verb
pre·des·tine
(ˌ)prē-ˈde-stən 
predestined; predestining; predestines
: to destine, decree, determine, appoint, or settle beforehand
especially
: predestinate sense 1
Examples of predestine in a Sentence
our victory in the tournament was seemingly predestined
Recent Examples on the Web
There are nights in football when the outcome seems predestined.
—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 7 May 2026
Science, of course, struggles to prove whether that’s predestined in their genes, though some studies suggest that some tendency toward hoarding—put another way, collecting to excess—is heritable.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2026
At the same time, nothing is predestined.
—Ray Dalio, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
There’s a generic quality both to singer-songwriter Michaelson’s score (a combination of folk and Broadway pop) and to a romance that seems almost mystically predestined.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
The Lionel Messi-Lamine Yamal connection For believers in the soccer gods, Lamine Yamal's ascent to the upper echelons of the sport could almost seem predestined with Lamine anointed by a Barça icon — Lionel Messi.
—Nathalie Sommer, CBS News, 1 Dec. 2025
Ferrari Given his name, Adam Driver was seemingly predestined to play the man behind the world's most prestigious sports car.
—Hannah Kerns, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
Your luck in life is predestined in a way.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 14 Feb. 2025
Josh Allen plowed his way through, as if predestined to cross the plane fully upright.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
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Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 7 May 2026
Science, of course, struggles to prove whether that’s predestined in their genes, though some studies suggest that some tendency toward hoarding—put another way, collecting to excess—is heritable.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2026
At the same time, nothing is predestined.
—Ray Dalio, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
There’s a generic quality both to singer-songwriter Michaelson’s score (a combination of folk and Broadway pop) and to a romance that seems almost mystically predestined.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
The Lionel Messi-Lamine Yamal connection For believers in the soccer gods, Lamine Yamal's ascent to the upper echelons of the sport could almost seem predestined with Lamine anointed by a Barça icon — Lionel Messi.
—Nathalie Sommer, CBS News, 1 Dec. 2025
Ferrari Given his name, Adam Driver was seemingly predestined to play the man behind the world's most prestigious sports car.
—Hannah Kerns, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
Your luck in life is predestined in a way.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 14 Feb. 2025
Josh Allen plowed his way through, as if predestined to cross the plane fully upright.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Predestine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predestine. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
predestine
verb
pre·des·tine
(ˈ)prē-ˈdes-tən
: to decide beforehand especially by divine command
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