ORDAIN Synonyms: 75 Similar and Opposite Words

ordain

verb

ȯr-ˈdān

Definition of ordain

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

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

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ordain Her parents, Baptist deacons who ultimately left the church over its refusal to ordain women, raised their children to wrestle with such questions. — Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 30 June 2026 After the war, he was ordained and served as a minister at the Steele Creek Presbyterian Church from 1804 until his death in 1827. — Charlotte Observer, 23 June 2026 In 1962, Lazowski was ordained and served as the spiritual leader of Beth Shalom Synagogue in Hartford until 1969. — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2026 John Rahimi, Raymond Grieshaber, and Conrad Espino were ordained on Saturday morning during a ceremony at Holy Name Cathedral on the city's Near North Side. — Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 20 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for ordain

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordain

Verb

As part of his suit, Musk asked for $150 billion in damages that would be destined for a charitable trust and requested OpenAI’s for-profit structure be reversed.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 13 July 2026
Polly appears trapped and destined to burn to death in the abode as Alice sets the house ablaze.

— Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of destine

Verb

That kind of granular information is important for emergency responders in the field and planners who make decisions about calling for extra help or ordering evacuations.

— Eric Niiler, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Americans across the nation are being asked (or ordered) to conserve water, thanks to widespread drought made even worse by a punishing heat wave.

— Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 5 July 2026

Definition of order

Verb

Florida’s Second Chance Act was enacted after years of collaboration among physicians, families affected by sudden cardiac arrest, legislators, athletic leaders, and advocacy organizations.

— Torie Bosch, STAT, 18 July 2026
New Jersey enacted its assault weapons law in 1990 following a mass shooting at a California elementary school.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 17 July 2026

Definition of enact

Verb

Biden's halting gait, frail appearance and frequent verbal stumbles eventually doomed his 2024 reelection campaign.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026
To escape this new reality, the duo must confront the weight of their lineage and decide whether their love can break the cycle or if they’re doomed to remain trapped forever.

— Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 14 July 2026

Definition of doom

Verb

Knapp emphasized that the department would never contact residents to request bank information, PIN numbers or ask individuals to transfer money between accounts.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
Telemundo Noticias requested comments from ICE and Core Civic, the company that manages California City, but did not receive a response.

— Albinson Linares, NBC news, 18 July 2026