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
-
Unlike dining out or ordering takeout, the etiquette around tipping for flower delivery isn’t always clear-cut.—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 May 2026
-
The company's owner offered help, ordering staff to ship replacements from ES Windows' manufacturing complex in Barranquilla, Colombia.—
Larry Seward,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Taking away rights, limiting the ability of non-whites to vote and enacting laws that divert government funds into their own pockets.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
6 May 2026
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An interim report from the Royal Commission released in April, which examined the capacity of Australian law enforcement and the security services to respond to antisemitic crimes, recommended that Australia’s leaders prioritize enacting nationally consistent gun laws and a weapons buyback.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 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
-
On the edges of the park, middle schoolers could be seen raising their wrists to their mouths, requesting more time.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Both sides recently filed a joint motion requesting more time to extend the defendants’ deadline to respond to the complaint, which had been scheduled for April 27.—
Chase Jordan
May 4,
Charlotte Observer,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
If Democrats win the House, our first priority should be passing a comprehensive affordability package that will bring down the costs of child care, housing and health care.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
Unlike at Shadden’s, the only mechanical purr is the brief rumble of a passing car.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ordaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordaining. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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