preordained 1 of 2

adjective

as in destined

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preordained

2 of 2

verb

past tense of preordain
as in doomed
to determine the fate of in advance my wife and I are such soulmates, I'm convinced that our marriage was preordained

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 preordained
Verb
The literary poster child for the old type of soldier was Ernest Hemingway, who, like many men of his generation, had preordained military service as a child. — Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026 Experts say the outcome of the review seems preordained, although the matter is playing out in unexplored legal territory. — Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026 Just because there is some constraint, doesn’t mean that your path has to be preordained. — Nir Bashan, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 Whatever happened—injury, illness, flood, or drought—felt preordained, part of God’s grand scheme. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 July 2026 Given the slow start to his pro career, a spot at the World Cup, never mind the starting nod, was far from preordained. — Sean Gregory, Time, 10 June 2026 The purchase seems preordained, given that both Gert-Jan and Corinne, like Pascon and Boccara, are lively and curious intellectuals. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026 What wasn’t preordained is just how beautifully executed the entire venture turns out to be. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2026 Will this year’s Oscar awards be another fait accompli, a bloated snoozer that’s as boring and seemingly preordained as this year’s Super Bowl? — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preordained
  1. predetermined
  2. destined
  3. foreordained
  4. doomed
  5. predestined
  6. ordained
  7. possible
  8. probable
Adjective
  • The attacker is no longer simply automating a predetermined sequence of steps.
    — Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Nakogee recalls cutting predetermined lengths of cable, then repackaging it onto spools to load onto cargo aircraft.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 30 July 2026
Definition of predetermined
Verb
  • But with a lack of historical perspective due to term limits and facing powerful labor union influence, state legislators from both parties seem destined to repeat the mistake of the past.
    — Daniel Borenstein, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • SpaceX's quest to rescue the upper section of its massive Starship rocket from the sea does not appear to be destined for a triumphant end.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of destined
Adjective
  • Her foray into television, which started in 2017, was not exactly foreordained.
    — Tammy LaGorce, New York Times, 14 May 2024
  • With all of those movements, when the central issue was really crystallized as a choice between what is clearly right and just, and what is clearly unjust and wrong and deadly and dangerous, then the outcome becomes foreordained.
    — Cara Buckley, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
Definition of foreordained
Verb
  • Eventually, markets will ignore intervention, which is doomed to fail and merely creates the illusion of stability, Brooks has said.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Right before that vote, DeCiccio stressed Merrywood was doomed despite the community wanting to save it because no one had come forward to buy and preserve it.
    — Brian Bell, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of doomed
Adjective
  • In retrospect, Sumner seemed predestined to become a famous abolitionist lawyer.
    — Rob Wolfe, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of predestined
Verb
  • So what if the credulous smallfolk now believe that the Usurper’s rule is ordained by the Gods?
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The program was slowly implemented, and the first native African ministers ordained in Kenya, Ishmael Semler and William Jones, were ordained in 1885.
    — Stephanie TriplettAll, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of ordained
Adjective
  • Mangione's lawyers and federal prosecutors in Manhattan also discussed a possible guilty plea in his federal case in June, sources previously told ABC News.
    — Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • With an address right in the heart of Paris, this place is ideal for first-timers who want to see as much as possible, or art lovers who are in town specifically to see the Louvre.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of possible
Adjective
  • Kim said that the orbiter's maneuver brought a slight change in the phase of the spacecraft's orbit, which canceled the probable conjunction between the upper stage and Danuri.
    — Leonard David, Space.com, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Flash flooding and mudslides will be probable, especially in areas of steep terrain.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of probable

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Cite this Entry

“Preordained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preordained. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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