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
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 ordain
Hood was deep in that hyper-religious realm for years, though — becoming ordained at just 22 as a Southern Baptist minister.
—
Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2025
Reforms on the table include how to give greater roles to women in the Catholic Church, including ordaining them as deacons, and the greater inclusion of non-clergy members in governance and decision making.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2025
He was ordained as a minister the next year, founded the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in 1980, and in 1984 founded the nonprofit George Foreman Youth and Community Center in Houston.
—Phil Helsel, NBC news, 22 Mar. 2025
That document left open the question of ordaining women deacons, who carry out all the functions of a priest bar celebrating Mass and hearing confessions.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordain
Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2025
Reforms on the table include how to give greater roles to women in the Catholic Church, including ordaining them as deacons, and the greater inclusion of non-clergy members in governance and decision making.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2025
He was ordained as a minister the next year, founded the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in 1980, and in 1984 founded the nonprofit George Foreman Youth and Community Center in Houston.
—Phil Helsel, NBC news, 22 Mar. 2025
That document left open the question of ordaining women deacons, who carry out all the functions of a priest bar celebrating Mass and hearing confessions.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordain
Verb
-
Lady Gaga was always destined to steal the show at Coachella as the biggest headliner at the festival this year.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Gordon’s dunk gave the Nuggets a 101-99 win over the LA Clippers to end Saturday afternoon’s thrilling Game 4 and even a series destined to go long at 2-2.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
But last week, the Trump administration ordered him to halt all the lab’s ALS research immediately as part of a more than $2.2 billion federal funding freeze.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Women can order Oova kits directly and receive 30 days' worth of hormone testing.—
Geri Stengel,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Some lawmakers have argued that the act cannot be used by the president to enact tariffs.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
-
The 1970 Clean Air Act specifies that California can receive waivers from the Environmental Protection Agency to enact clean air standards that are tougher than federal limits because the state has historically been the most polluted air in the nation.—
Lisa Friedman,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
Dallas appeared doomed when Marchment caught Brock Nelson with a high stick, drawing blood with 39.5 seconds left in regulation.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
-
The Opening Minutes The premiere opens in a cockpit that’s doomed.—
Anne Victoria Clark,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Athlon Sports reports heralded basketball player PJ Haggerty is requesting a $4 million NIL deal in the transfer portal.—
Nathan Goldman,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
-
The court is also deciding whether parents with religious objections can request that their children be excused from class when books with LGBTQ+ characters are being used.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
The issue became a flashpoint for the Justice Department in March, when Pardon Attorney Liz Oyer refused to add Gibson to a pilot program that had whittled a list of 95 non-violent offenders down to nine who had passed rigorous FBI background checks.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
-
The near daily release of orders stands as a counterpoint to the current anemic Congress, which has passed only a handful of laws since Mr. Trump’s inauguration. … and was sued in federal court more, too.—
Irineo Cabreros,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ordain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordain. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share