1
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

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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

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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 He was later sent to Rome to study canon law at the Pontifical Saint Thomas Aquinas University and was ordained as a priest in June 1982. Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 8 May 2025 One of the stars, Craig Wallace, has been ordained. Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 19 May 2025 Married men can be ordained as deacons while women cannot, although historians say women served as deacons in the early Christian church. Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2025 Born in Chicago, Leo XIV attended Villanova University and was ordained in 1982. Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for ordain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordain
Verb
  • Everything’s Going to Be Great suggests that all of this is destined to become fodder, someday, for Les’ brilliant creative career.
    Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2025
  • They were led nonetheless by an exceptional cadre of junior officers, thirty of whom would become generals, including eighteen destined to be full generals, the army's highest rank.
    / CBS News, CBS News, 13 June 2025
Verb
  • The last time a president called in the National Guard without a governor’s cooperation was in 1965, when Lyndon B. Johnson ordered troops to protect civil rights demonstrators in Alabama.
    Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 9 June 2025
  • Helen's Tomato Pie Senior Digital News Editor Rebecca Baer heads to one of downtown Birmingham’s most popular restaurants, Helen, each summer to order their beloved Tomato Pie.
    Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 8 June 2025
Verb
  • Andrew Harnik/Getty Images House Majority Leader Steve Scalise formally introduced legislation to enact President Donald Trump's $9.4 billion rescissions package on Friday, setting up a floor vote as early as Tuesday.
    Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
  • However, it wasn’t ultimately enacted by the last Congress.
    Dario Sabaghi, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • However, military failures and poor decisions by both Nicholas and Alexandra, who was overseeing domestic affairs while her husband led the war effort, ultimately doomed the Romanov dynasty.
    Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 June 2025
  • But by then, consoles were already taking over gaming, and the Backyard series failed to keep up, doomed in part by the dot-com bubble bursting.
    Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 12 June 2025
Verb
  • Outside researchers can request access to VSD data by submitting study proposals to the CDC.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
  • Banerjee did not respond to emails requesting comment from The Bee.
    Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • Given his skill in possession and ability to pass long, replacing Schar will not be an easy — or cheap — task.
    Chris Waugh, New York Times, 6 June 2025
  • Net-Zero Emissions The final victory for advocates came with just a few hours to spare before Wednesday’s midnight deadline to pass legislation.
    John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 5 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ordain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordain. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

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