as in accident
the belief that everything that will happen has already been predetermined and cannot be changed
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Recent Examples of predestination
Request a Demo Rorty’s version of redemption stands out against certain religious strands in that it is explicitly set against predestination or essentialism.
—
Big Think, 14 June 2024
This is a fun twist on the ancient idea of prophecy or predestination and, as such, makes for some compelling narrative uses—for a while, anyway.
—Jennifer Ouellette and Sean M. Carroll, Ars Technica, 24 Nov. 2023
Entertainment Score: 7 Science Score: 9 Arrival (2016) Enlarge / Denis Villeneuve's first foray into sci-fi offers a fun twist on the ancient idea of prophesy or predestination.
—Jennifer Ouellette and Sean M. Carroll, Ars Technica, 24 Nov. 2023
In a place where both psychohistory and predestination exist, how much does personal choice matter?
—Marah Eakin, WIRED, 14 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for predestination
Big Think, 14 June 2024
This is a fun twist on the ancient idea of prophecy or predestination and, as such, makes for some compelling narrative uses—for a while, anyway.
—Jennifer Ouellette and Sean M. Carroll, Ars Technica, 24 Nov. 2023
Entertainment Score: 7 Science Score: 9 Arrival (2016) Enlarge / Denis Villeneuve's first foray into sci-fi offers a fun twist on the ancient idea of prophesy or predestination.
—Jennifer Ouellette and Sean M. Carroll, Ars Technica, 24 Nov. 2023
In a place where both psychohistory and predestination exist, how much does personal choice matter?
—Marah Eakin, WIRED, 14 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for predestination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predestination
Noun
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Officer’s actions raise red flags in review Allen’s arrest began with a dirt-bike accident involving his younger brother, Parks, 16, who had spun out of control in a residential neighborhood in Meridian.—
Rose Evans,
Idaho Statesman,
8 May 2025
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In real-world situations, these systems have helped drivers avoid accidents or at least reduce the severity of impacts.—
Melanie Marshall,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2025
Noun
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Features footage the director shot over 20 years, traversing all of his past films in an epic look at the romantic destiny of his perennial heroine, Qiaoqiao.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
9 May 2025
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The Trump administration might believe that Ukraine’s destiny has no bearing on the future of the NATO alliance.—
Liana Fix,
Foreign Affairs,
1 May 2025
Noun
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Firefighters worked to mitigate the leak, containing the hazards, while maintenance workers shut down the building’s HVAC system, officials said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
16 May 2025
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That hazard area nearly encompasses the Turks and Caicos Islands in their entirety, according to the FAA’s environmental assessment.—
Heather Vogell,
ProPublica,
15 May 2025
Noun
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His luck changed into Turn 1 as pole-sitter Verstappen and Norris went wheel-to-wheel, with the latter dropping back four places after being run off the track by his rival.—
Dan Cancian,
Forbes.com,
6 May 2025
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That’s not to say speculators are necessarily out of luck, though the options are not without controversy.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
4 May 2025
Noun
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After several days of intense questioning, the small group of people who will help decide the fate of Sean Diddy Combs has been selected.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
13 May 2025
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The fate of current Thursdays-at-9 occupant Doctor Odyssey remains TBD.—
Ryan Schwartz,
TVLine,
13 May 2025
Noun
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But the love interests in these movies are usually rich by happenstance.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
6 May 2025
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Trained as a percussionist, Englander came to the instrument by happenstance.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
Noun
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The Cook Political Report currently has 19 House seats labeled as toss ups, meaning either party has a good chance of winning.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
9 May 2025
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Of course, there is always the chance that changes.—
Matt Galatzan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
Noun
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Wolfe drew inspiration for the show during the COVID-19 pandemic after doom scrolling through TikTok and catching a glimpse of Mayan, who was clearing up rumors about her parents’ divorce while twerking upside down.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2025
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Sometime in the next few days (no one can say exactly when), over some part of our planet (no one can say exactly where), that doom spiral will end as Kosmos-482 dips down into lower, thicker air and begins a final, fiery plunge through the atmosphere.—
Lee Billings,
Scientific American,
7 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Predestination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predestination. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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