1
as in destining
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 ordering
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 enacting
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 ordaining
Although Anglican churches in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, and New Zealand began ordaining women as priests as early as the 1970s, the Church of Nigeria resisted such developments.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordaining
Verb
-
The United States charged Castro with four counts of murder, accusing him of ordering Cuban military jets in 1996 to shoot down civilian planes flown by a Cuban-exile aid group and killing four people aboard.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
21 May 2026
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When these categories sit side by side without ordering, the paper becomes loud but not useful.—
Maman Ibrahim,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Brookline, a wealthy suburb of Boston, was the first, enacting its own version in 2021.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
19 May 2026
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Meanwhile, San Diego for years was on the cutting edge of facilitating construction of accessory dwelling units or ADUs, enacting perhaps the most permissive rules in California.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
In the year 2027 (which is somehow just one year from now, please stop, passage of time), Children of Men imagines a world where women have been infertile for years, dooming humanity to a slow extinction.—
Grace Dean,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
-
If that’s true, then the YIMBY activists pushing for zoning reforms around the country are making a terrible mistake, dooming themselves to repeating California’s failed experiment.—
Rogé Karma,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Ben-Gvir’s management of it has been so disquieting that the Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, a former Tel Aviv district attorney, filed a sixty-eight-page petition to the Supreme Court requesting that Netanyahu be made to defend his refusal to fire him.—
Bernard Avishai,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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The board also approved a resolution requesting a deeper analysis into the design of the project and how transportation could be improved in the region.—
DJ Simmons,
Charlotte Observer,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The Broncos have revamped their passing offense this offseason after the acquisition of Jaylen Waddle from the Dolphins.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
-
The two scores gave Dorofeyev nine for the playoffs, passing Howden for the league lead.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ordaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordaining. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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