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
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The 486 defendants are accused of being members of MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, and accused of ordering more than 47,000 crimes from 2012 to 2022, according to the Salvadoran government.—
Marcos Aleman,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
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The pistachio cinnamon roll was rich and worth ordering again, but the croissants were the highlight.—
Tristan Graziano,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Board member Allen Zeman also asked if Hepburn could bring back a proposal that would cut 200 more jobs, although board members only committed to reviewing it, not enacting it.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2026
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After phones at the facility allegedly stopped working on April 2, detainees began to complain, and attorney Katherine Blankenship alleged her clients told her that guards responded by threatening violence and then enacting violence on detainees, per court docs obtained by PEOPLE.—
Joseph Konig,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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Just more than a minute after ignition, the ruptured booster caused the shuttle’s giant external fuel tank to explode, tearing the vehicle to pieces over the ocean and dooming all seven astronauts.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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He can be heard telling a dispatcher that Rivera has been shot and requesting an ambulance and a SWAT team.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
19 Apr. 2026
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The official also criticized Nanos for not requesting help from the FBI earlier in the case.—
Peter D'Abrosca , Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In other words, the Chargers won’t be shy about using Mesidor equally in running or passing situations.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
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This division of labor allows the colony to remain partially buried in the seafloor while still efficiently feeding from passing water currents.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ordaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordaining. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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