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
Image In addition to learning his lines, Wallace became ordained via an online application approved by the District of Columbia.
—
Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 19 May 2025
The men were in their early 20s; this was before they were ordained by their respective religious bodies: Snider at Luther Seminary in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Prevost within the Augustinian order of the Roman Catholic Church.
—Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 16 May 2025
How a Chicago native became pope: See Robert Francis Prevost's path to making history
Prevost was ordained in 1981 as a member of the Order of Saint Augustine.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 9 May 2025
He was later sent to Rome to study canon law at the Pontifical Saint Thomas Aquinas University and was ordained as a priest in June 1982.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordain
Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 19 May 2025
The men were in their early 20s; this was before they were ordained by their respective religious bodies: Snider at Luther Seminary in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Prevost within the Augustinian order of the Roman Catholic Church.
—Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 16 May 2025
How a Chicago native became pope: See Robert Francis Prevost's path to making history
Prevost was ordained in 1981 as a member of the Order of Saint Augustine.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 9 May 2025
He was later sent to Rome to study canon law at the Pontifical Saint Thomas Aquinas University and was ordained as a priest in June 1982.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordain
Verb
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Fast-forward to today, and the latest Mini to come from Wood & Pickett is destined for the garage of model, fashion entrepreneur – and noted car guy – David Gandy.—
Alistair Charlton,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
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Otherwise, they are destined to be remembered as useless and timid wimps as the U.S. was slouching toward a dictatorship.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
24 June 2025
Verb
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Saturday’s strikes raised immediate questions about the extent of the U.S. involvement in the Middle East and about Trump’s authority to order the bombings without congressional approval.—
Brett Samuels,
The Hill,
22 June 2025
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Mahmoud Khalil has arrived in New Jersey after a federal judge ordered his release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention in Louisiana.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
21 June 2025
Verb
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The first payments from Canada's digital services tax, which was enacted last year and applies retroactively to 2022, were initially set to be collected Monday.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
30 June 2025
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The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was not especially well loved when it was enacted at the end of that year.—
Joseph Thorndike,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Verb
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But in 1931, the German mathematician Kurt Gödel demonstrated that any interesting system of mathematical axioms is doomed to incompleteness.—
Gregory Barber,
Quanta Magazine,
20 June 2025
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The Hornets nearly lost the program in the early 1990s amid sweeping budget cuts that doomed a number of statewide college football programs in California, but a student referendum saved the sport.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
19 June 2025
Verb
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The expansion fee is a record $250 million, according to two sources who requested anonymity because the discussions were private.—
Kurt Badenhausen,
Sportico.com,
30 June 2025
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At his second federal hearing, on Friday morning, Boelter’s detention and preliminary hearing was rescheduled to Wednesday after his legal team requested a continuance, CBS News reported.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
30 June 2025
Verb
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Wine and beer are complimentary at lunch and dinner and are often paired with the entrees to reflect the region the cruise was passing through.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 June 2025
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Hopkins, more of a prototypical pocket passer, seemed to have a strong connection with star tight end Mark Bowman — a passing display between the duo that was featured early in Mater Dei’s contests.—
Benjamin Royer,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ordain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordain. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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