as in preordained
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as in destined
to determine the fate of in advance
religious sects that believe that an individual's salvation has been predetermined by God
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Recent Examples of predetermined
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, jsonline.com, 14 Feb. 2026
As the name suggests, a prescribed fire is when a predetermined area is purposely burned under certain pre-planned conditions.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Feb. 2026
Of course, these lines of inquiry are wholly blocked if the agents remain masked and thus functionally invisible, and investigations are controlled and steered to a predetermined conclusion.
—Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026
Typically, the show features a segment inspired by the classic film where Indy is chased by a barreling boulder down a predetermined track.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Her takeaway from the experience is a message aimed directly at women who feel stuck, uncertain, or pressured to follow a predetermined timeline.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Not only because the television arm of the Star Wars machine seems to be dying down, or because few series will get $650 million for two seasons, or even because prequels are notoriously difficult to pull off — especially prequels with a main character’s death as a predetermined endpoint.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Everyone knows where the story is going, and whatever growth takes place along the way needs to reach the predetermined maturity of what’s already known.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2025
Once all spots are sold, the breaker opens the box live online, revealing which cards go to which participant based on the predetermined assignments.
—Mark Billingsley, Sacbee.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Robert Casper, Boston Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
Republican candidates, while receiving less convention coverage, maintain substantial voter support, with polling showing Republicans collectively drawing significant backing and suggesting the general election dynamic remains competitive rather than predetermined.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026
People can sense when decisions are predetermined.
—Garrett Lucien, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2026
When the amount of money going to both sides is predetermined, the issues are distributional.
—Evan Drellich, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
The Cowboys were predetermined to give up a home game in 2026 for an international destination, although the possibility of the team traveling to Melbourne, Australia, was on the table before the league selected the San Francisco 49ers to play the Los Angeles Rams Down Under.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Feb. 2026
Yet, some people believe that the game is rigged and predetermined each year.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Some items now available at the fest, which began Jan 30, will go away at a predetermined (and published) date, replaced by other items that will, in turn, be bumped for a third option.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
Someone genetically predetermined to live 80 years could reach 85 with healthy habits, while unhealthy lifestyle choices can shorten that expectancy to 75.
—Michal Ruprecht, CNN Money, 29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
The Winnebago System supports an annual spearing season that runs for a maximum of 16 days or until any of the predetermined harvest caps have been met.
—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, jsonline.com, 14 Feb. 2026
As the name suggests, a prescribed fire is when a predetermined area is purposely burned under certain pre-planned conditions.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Feb. 2026
Of course, these lines of inquiry are wholly blocked if the agents remain masked and thus functionally invisible, and investigations are controlled and steered to a predetermined conclusion.
—Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026
Typically, the show features a segment inspired by the classic film where Indy is chased by a barreling boulder down a predetermined track.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Her takeaway from the experience is a message aimed directly at women who feel stuck, uncertain, or pressured to follow a predetermined timeline.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Not only because the television arm of the Star Wars machine seems to be dying down, or because few series will get $650 million for two seasons, or even because prequels are notoriously difficult to pull off — especially prequels with a main character’s death as a predetermined endpoint.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Everyone knows where the story is going, and whatever growth takes place along the way needs to reach the predetermined maturity of what’s already known.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2025
Once all spots are sold, the breaker opens the box live online, revealing which cards go to which participant based on the predetermined assignments.
—Mark Billingsley, Sacbee.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
For more than a decade, families have raised concerns about course materials that frame America’s global role in a consistently lopsided way or assign students predetermined conclusions about controversial topics.
—Robert Casper, Boston Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
Republican candidates, while receiving less convention coverage, maintain substantial voter support, with polling showing Republicans collectively drawing significant backing and suggesting the general election dynamic remains competitive rather than predetermined.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026
People can sense when decisions are predetermined.
—Garrett Lucien, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2026
When the amount of money going to both sides is predetermined, the issues are distributional.
—Evan Drellich, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
The Cowboys were predetermined to give up a home game in 2026 for an international destination, although the possibility of the team traveling to Melbourne, Australia, was on the table before the league selected the San Francisco 49ers to play the Los Angeles Rams Down Under.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Feb. 2026
Yet, some people believe that the game is rigged and predetermined each year.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Some items now available at the fest, which began Jan 30, will go away at a predetermined (and published) date, replaced by other items that will, in turn, be bumped for a third option.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
Someone genetically predetermined to live 80 years could reach 85 with healthy habits, while unhealthy lifestyle choices can shorten that expectancy to 75.
—Michal Ruprecht, CNN Money, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predetermined
Verb
-
Now the big five looks like it’s destined to become the big four, including Universal and Sony, and the business of Hollywood moviemaking is once again in a time of profound transition.—
Lindsey Bahr,
Fortune,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Pull a hot air balloon, and you’re destined to live a life of adventure and travel.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Christo and Jeanne-Claude disregarded all threats of legal action, directing Running Fence to complete its predestined voyage into the sea.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
But that doesn’t mean those who fall short of the mark are doomed to a lifetime of work.—
Brian Baker CFA,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Without that, Saks Global and its Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman businesses would be doomed.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Those signals are used to get as close as possible to victims, when probe poles are then used to locate them in the snow, Rice said.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Sun Princess has 30 restaurants and bars, so describing each in detail isn’t possible here.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The World Health Organization has classified it as a probable carcinogen.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Backup center Jaxson Hayes (right ankle sprain) is probable for Thursday’s game in Phoenix.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
What unfolds next is both foreordained and unpredictable: a performance superficially the same as any other rendition of the same score, but also profoundly different — wondrous, perhaps, or merely rote.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
16 Oct. 2024
-
The film is a tragedy in which everything comes out right: Coppola builds his protagonist’s absurd overreach into a foreordained happy ending, and the movie itself is a happy outcome from the very start.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Predetermined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predetermined. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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