ordains

verb

present tense third-person singular of ordain
1
as in destines
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 orders
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 enacts
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 ordains And one of the tenets of that faith is that God ordains everything. — Scott Pelley, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordains
  1. dooms
  2. orders
  3. enacts
  4. dictates
  5. passes
  6. requests
Verb
  • Fans continue to ask Carney about Hadestown’s climactic moment, when Orpheus dooms Eurydice forever by turning to look at her on the road back from hell.
    — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
  • This dooms the kingdom to the tyrannical rule of the villainous Priscilla (Nikki Glaser), who swoops in and snatches the throne.
    — Kevin Giraud, Variety, 23 June 2026
Definition of dooms
Verb
  • The King imprisons the miller’s daughter in a room and orders her to prove her magical ability under pain of death.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Diagnosis usually starts with a primary care referral to a sleep doctor, who reviews your sleep history and orders a sleep study either in a lab or at home.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of orders
Verb
  • The leader who takes bodyful ownership of their life and enacts disciplined practices to sense its rhythms will not only enjoy greater harmony and wellbeing but bring greater coherence to their work and to their world.
    — Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • On just one unchanging set, an old-time concert hall designed by Rachel Hauck and made appropriately ominous, a tiny ensemble enacts a whole Greek tragedy of love and sacrifice that goes from the land of the living to the underworld and back.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 22 July 2026
Definition of enacts
Verb
  • Since then, tradition dictates that every member of the royal family travel with a black outfit, ready to be worn in the event of a death.
    — Mathilde Engelmann, Vanity Fair, 31 July 2026
  • The letter also addressed concerns that the new salary cap would blow past revenue-sharing amounts established in the House settlement, which dictates the terms of paying players.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
Definition of dictates
Verb
  • If the referendum passes, Miami will join the vast majority of Miami-Dade cities that hold elections in even years.
    — Tess Riski July 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • The top perovskite layer is designed to absorb higher-energy sunlight, while the CIGS bottom layer captures the lower-energy light that passes through.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 31 July 2026
Definition of passes
Verb
  • When a processor requests data, the chip instantly converts CXL memory requests into DDR5 commands, retrieves the required information, and sends it back in real time.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 1 Aug. 2026
  • In audio released from a distress call made by Wells’ friends, the caller requests towing assistance after a boat malfunction.
    — Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2026
Definition of requests

Browse Nearby Words

ordaining
ordains
ordeal
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Cite this Entry

“Ordains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordains. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ordains

Nglish: Translation of ordains for Spanish Speakers

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