as in to destine
to determine the fate of in advance
we are such good friends, it's almost like we were foreordained to meet
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Recent Examples of foreordain
Wagner commented that in opera the orchestra should act as a medium of premonition, indicating what is foreordained but not yet foreseen.
—
Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
Before anything else is said about Lana Del Rey’s new album, let it be noted that however well the record came out, it was foreordained to come in second among her artistic works of the past year.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Mar. 2023
Pelosi is more than happy for additional evidence to be disclosed and for the Senate to call witnesses, even after the House has impeached and when the resolution of the trial is foreordained.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 17 Jan. 2020
The outcome was not foreordained, for either Bork or Mr. Biden.
—Alexander Burns, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2019
The 41st president, who couldn’t always get his sentences straight, wasn’t foreordained for history’s hall of fame.
—Josef Joffe, WSJ, 3 Dec. 2018
Aster piles on the personal confrontations and emotional breakdowns, but compounds them with unnerving new hauntings, all the way up to an ending that feels foreordained, but still shattering.
—Tasha Robinson, The Verge, 8 June 2018
Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
Before anything else is said about Lana Del Rey’s new album, let it be noted that however well the record came out, it was foreordained to come in second among her artistic works of the past year.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Mar. 2023
Pelosi is more than happy for additional evidence to be disclosed and for the Senate to call witnesses, even after the House has impeached and when the resolution of the trial is foreordained.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 17 Jan. 2020
The outcome was not foreordained, for either Bork or Mr. Biden.
—Alexander Burns, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2019
The 41st president, who couldn’t always get his sentences straight, wasn’t foreordained for history’s hall of fame.
—Josef Joffe, WSJ, 3 Dec. 2018
Aster piles on the personal confrontations and emotional breakdowns, but compounds them with unnerving new hauntings, all the way up to an ending that feels foreordained, but still shattering.
—Tasha Robinson, The Verge, 8 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foreordain
Verb
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In an interview with the SID at Valdosta State, Hart said he was destined to go to VSU and that his favorite other sport is soccer.—
Darren Cooper,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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Those destined for Pacifica will be released into a habitat that has been upgraded for their arrival.—
Pepper St. Clair,
Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Pastor Harris, a later-in-life pastor, became ordained by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America at 60.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
21 Jan. 2026
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Indiana, formerly of Orland Park, took a trip to El Salvador with Hicks before Hicks was ordained as a priest in 1994.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Poor perimeter shooting doomed the team in his absence, as the Celtics went just 9-for-35 from 3-point range (26%) in the loss.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
13 Jan. 2026
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Philadelphia was again doomed by a lethargic offensive effort that cost it a shot at a repeat championship.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The plot explores fate and reality and how one moment in someone’s life can completely alter its future direction.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
22 Jan. 2026
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Henry seems to interpret this as a reinforcement of the Commander’s prophecy—that he, too, is fated to kill himself on his 40th birthday.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foreordain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreordain. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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