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
Many see the curriculum as part of a growing Christian nationalist movement, which holds the belief that the United States’ founding was ordained by God and that its laws and institutions should favor Christians.
—
Jaden Edison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Casey was ordained a priest more than 30 years ago in the Archdiocese of Chicago by then-Archbishop Joseph Bernadin, who also was the former archbishop of Cincinnati.
—Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
The two were wed on May 10 by Michael Bobo, who was ordained through the Supreme Council of the House of Jacob, with 215 guests in attendance, at Sans Souci Ballroom in Houston.
—Jenny Block, New York Times, 16 May 2025
There is Chekhov, yes, but in American film the gun going off is ordained by the greater cults of marketable violence.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordain
Jaden Edison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Casey was ordained a priest more than 30 years ago in the Archdiocese of Chicago by then-Archbishop Joseph Bernadin, who also was the former archbishop of Cincinnati.
—Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
The two were wed on May 10 by Michael Bobo, who was ordained through the Supreme Council of the House of Jacob, with 215 guests in attendance, at Sans Souci Ballroom in Houston.
—Jenny Block, New York Times, 16 May 2025
There is Chekhov, yes, but in American film the gun going off is ordained by the greater cults of marketable violence.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordain
Verb
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Yet he was not destined for professional life, certainly not in the cotton business that attracted talented young Greeks.—
Gregory Jusdanis,
Literary Hub,
12 Aug. 2025
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But that, of course, was not the only place made-in-China iPhones were destined.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
10 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Attorneys for Bedrock Healthcare argue the court's decision to order the nursing homes into receivership was hasty and unnecessary.—
Tamia Fowlkes,
jsonline.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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After spending months cutting funds to researchers, many grants-management specialists then had to undo that work in a matter of days, after a federal judge ordered the agency to immediately reinstate hundreds of grants.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Congress enacted these subsidies during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure people had health insurance.—
CalMatters,
Mercury News,
15 Aug. 2025
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Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act enacted last month jeopardizes the financial stability of the city in the coming years, state officials and budget experts say.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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When the cost and time differential is so vast, the legacy approach is doomed.—
Dr. Jonathan Reichental,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
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Maybe things would have turned out differently if the team was in Hartford all along, but any efforts, no matter how sincere, to make that happen now were doomed.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
3 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Star requested a comment from the league and asked if any consideration had been given to the heat advisory issued days in advance.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
17 Aug. 2025
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The front desk clerk twice contacted DCS to report apparent signs of abuse and request a welfare check, but the agency did not respond, according to the claim.—
Mary Jo Pitzl,
AZCentral.com,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
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As a sophomore at Alpharetta (Ga.) High School, 27 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta, Bordeaux put up 2,466 passing yards and 26 scores over 10 appearances.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
16 Aug. 2025
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In response, the California legislature passed Proposition 89, which gave voters the option to allow the governor power to modify the parole board’s decision.—
Taylor Romine,
CNN Money,
16 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ordain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordain. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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