as in preordained
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as in destined
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 foreordained
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 16 Oct. 2024
The film is a tragedy in which everything comes out right: Coppola builds his protagonist’s absurd overreach into a foreordained happy ending, and the movie itself is a happy outcome from the very start.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2024
Her foray into television, which started in 2017, was not exactly foreordained.
—Tammy Lagorce, New York Times, 14 May 2024
And that success is far from foreordained.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 4 Aug. 2022
For all the talk of Senate traditions, the outcome seems pretty foreordained if the Democrats win a majority and the intractable McConnell continues as GOP leader.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 17 Aug. 2020
Yet even now, Deng’s warning holds: an Asian century is neither inevitable nor foreordained.
—Lee Hsien Loong, Foreign Affairs, 4 June 2020
Adjective
What unfolds next is both foreordained and unpredictable: a performance superficially the same as any other rendition of the same score, but also profoundly different — wondrous, perhaps, or merely rote.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 16 Oct. 2024
The film is a tragedy in which everything comes out right: Coppola builds his protagonist’s absurd overreach into a foreordained happy ending, and the movie itself is a happy outcome from the very start.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2024
Her foray into television, which started in 2017, was not exactly foreordained.
—Tammy Lagorce, New York Times, 14 May 2024
And that success is far from foreordained.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 4 Aug. 2022
For all the talk of Senate traditions, the outcome seems pretty foreordained if the Democrats win a majority and the intractable McConnell continues as GOP leader.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 17 Aug. 2020
Yet even now, Deng’s warning holds: an Asian century is neither inevitable nor foreordained.
—Lee Hsien Loong, Foreign Affairs, 4 June 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foreordained
Verb
-
It was subsequently sold at a reduced price to Hitler’s art dealer and was destined for the Führer Museum in Linz, Austria.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
-
At the same time that engineers are preparing to send more helicopters to Mars, NASA is working on a more massive rotorcraft named Dragonfly destined for Saturn’s moon Titan.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Spirit was doomed to fail because of mismanagement, deep financial problems, and – crucially – its reputation for poor customer service.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
4 May 2026
-
My goodness, are we doomed to be Bucks West?—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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Christo and Jeanne-Claude disregarded all threats of legal action, directing Running Fence to complete its predestined voyage into the sea.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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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
Adjective
-
Young people changed quickly and not on any predetermined schedule.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Every component has a predetermined function.—
Eliza Strickland,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foreordained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreordained. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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