ordained

past tense of ordain
1
2
as in ordered
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

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 ordained Many were spurred on by religious fervor and the concept of Manifest Destiny, the belief that the Christian God had ordained that White settlers should colonize North America, from sea to shining sea. Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025 He was ordained in 1976, and has served in various positions over his 40 years serving the Catholic Church, including director of Catholic Charities and director of the Haitian Apostolate, according to the Archdiocese of Miami website. Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025 In 1694, Jonathan Swift is ordained a deacon in the Church of Ireland. Literary Hub, 25 Oct. 2025 For instance, the network included connections between cardinals who worked together in Vatican departments, between those who ordained, or were ordained by, another and between those who were friends. Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 11 Oct. 2025 Mullally was ordained in 2001 and left the government three years later for church roles at Salisbury Cathedral and then becoming only the fourth woman bishop in the Church of England as the Suffragan Bishop of Crediton in the Diocese of Exeter. Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025 Mullally became a Christian at age 16 and worked as a nurse before being ordained. Elizabeth Pritchett , Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025 Qualified people who could be priests except for archaic laws that no longer serve us continue to wait to be invited into the ranks of those who have been ordained. Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025 Thirty-two deacons from around the world were being ordained that day. Kristine Tran, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordained
Verb
  • Other lines record the sale of the first wristwatch to the Queen of Naples and a pocket watch thought to have been destined for Marie Antoinette.
    Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 8 Nov. 2025
  • The 49ers were 1-8 under Chip Kelly, destined for a 2-14 season that would lead to the hiring of coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.
    Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • There, a mechanic began repairs on the car, but was ordered to stop because of the ongoing court arguments over the car.
    Omar Jimenez, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
  • On Friday, two federal judges ordered SNAP benefits to be paid from the department's contingency fund, but confusion continued over the issue Tuesday.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Congress enacted the enhanced Obamacare subsidies during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 12 Nov. 2025
  • In the past few years, multiple states have introduced or enacted legislation that relaxes child-labor laws; in Iowa, for example, a fourteen-year-old now has the opportunity to work in an industrial laundry or a meat freezer.
    Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Some prominent critics blamed American socialists for their own marginality or viewed their cause as doomed by conditions particular to the nation’s history.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Beck’s overtime interception against SMU essentially doomed UM’s chances.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • After the couple handed Clarkson a paper with their vows and requested her to read it, the three-time Grammy Award winner joked that she wasn’t officially allowed to officiate.
    Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Her mother requested ketamine treatment, explaining that infusions of the drug had helped Maya in the past; hospital staff reported Beata to the Department of Children and Families, and she was accused of Munchausen syndrome by proxy.
    Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • With about 90% of ballots counted, California voters passed Proposition 50 by a wide margin, but results from the Sacramento region reflect a community split on the measure.
    Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 6 Nov. 2025
  • However, many legal analysts believe the justices will not overturn the precedent, and some additional legal protections for same-sex married couples were passed into federal law in 2022.
    Jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ordained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordained. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on ordained

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!