preordained 1 of 2

preordained

2 of 2

verb

past tense of preordain

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
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 Some might assume that Gooding’s Hollywood career was preordained. Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 3 Mar. 2026 Sports are inherently fraught with tension, but some seem preordained to it more than others. Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026 And there again Tuesday morning stood those four teams in the current East play-in bracket, as if preordained to have to fight their way into the playoffs through the pre-playoffs. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026 The forward march of East Asian animation from pop celebration to prestige recognition is not preordained. Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preordained
Adjective
  • The acquisition comes after an agreement between the two companies in April that gave SpaceX the right to acquire Cursor at a predetermined valuation.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 June 2026
  • According to Olson, the podcast does not attempt to force a predetermined conclusion, but instead reexamines the case using modern forensic reconstruction technology and fresh expert analysis.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026
Verb
  • The movie initially seemed destined to have a happy ending as audiences awarded it an impressive 87% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
    Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
  • Federal customs officials at Washington Dulles Airport seized 139 pounds of Ethiopian khat, a plant chewed for its amphetamine-like effect, that was destined for Sacramento.
    Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 18 June 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
Verb
  • The visage of the Mexican painter, whose work was once overshadowed by that of her husband, has become so iconic—doomed to emblazon T-shirts around the world—that it has been largely decontextualized from Frida, the human being.
    Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 15 June 2026
  • This was the disjointed, mistimed offense that doomed the Spurs.
    Jared Weiss, New York Times, 13 June 2026
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
Verb
  • Jakes delivered his first sermon in 1976 and was ordained in 1979.
    Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 June 2026
  • On the left was Fleck at age 26, when he was ordained.
    Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
Adjective
  • Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.
    CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026
  • Tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area beginning early Wednesday, and are expected within the warning area beginning later on Wednesday.
    MIAMI HERALD HURRICANE BOT, Miami Herald, 17 June 2026
Adjective
  • In 1985, a young center named Patrick Ewing, who had just starred at Georgetown, came to the Garden and a turnaround seemed not only possible but probable.
    Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
  • But while a stronger event raises the odds and probable scale of impact, the true total won’t be known for years because the losses compound over time.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 13 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Preordained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preordained. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on preordained

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster