1
as in to destine
to determine the fate of in advance
he is stoic in the face of adversity, bolstered by his faith that everything in life has been ordained by a higher power
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to order
to request the doing of by virtue of one's authority
a new bill that would ordain the funding of public schools through state lottery revenues
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to enact
to put into effect through legislative or authoritative action
the founders of the African republic ordained a form of government that was closely modeled on that of the United States
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ordain
He was ordained as a rabbi in the Masorti movement in Israel and worked there before moving to San Diego in 2024.
—
Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
Pastor Harris, a later-in-life pastor, became ordained by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America at 60.
—Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
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
Prevost was ordained the next June.
—Paul Elie, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ordain
Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
Pastor Harris, a later-in-life pastor, became ordained by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America at 60.
—Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
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
Prevost was ordained the next June.
—Paul Elie, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ordain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordain
Verb
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Discussing artificial intelligence, which should prove a major driver of the automation side of the business going forward, Kapur said that Honeywell has the data across industries needed to train AIs destined for an oil refinery, or a life sciences facility, or a hospital.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
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After seeming destined for relegation all season, West Ham United has suddenly found winning form.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Bell has already ordered another season, as fans in China, Russia and around the world binge Season 1.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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The outages have left ordinary Russians frequently unable to use their phones on the go — to make calls, order a taxi or pay for groceries.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Inside, organizers enacted extreme heat protocols, forcing closure of the retractable roofs over the main arenas and postponement of matches on the uncovered outer courts.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Lawmakers were pushing a measure, similar to those enacted in Australia and Canada, that would have forced tech giants to pay online publishers for the ransacking, er, use, of their journalistic content.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For here was a gay man doomed by his failure to recognize that the courtroom was a different kind of stage, one where flamboyant insouciance would bring disaster rather than applause.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
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But those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Mu Hee’s visits her Uncle and Aunt, and requests them to ask her father the whereabouts of her mother.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The Senate could split off DHS funding from the rest of the spending legislation, as Democrats are requesting, and send it back to the House.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In addition to where in the stadium tickets can purchased, Razorback Foundation donor levels and priority points also dictate how parking passes around the stadium are distributed and how many tickets are available for purchase in certain sections.—
Matt Jones,
Arkansas Online,
28 Jan. 2026
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Sullivan says the institutions requested the bill, which passed the Senate State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Committee 3-2, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ordain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordain. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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