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• destiny
  destiny

  noun

  something that is to happen or has happened to a particular person or thing; lot or fortune.
• Destiny
  Destiny

  noun

  the power that predetermines events, personified as a goddess

destiny

American  

[des-tuh-nee] / ˈdɛs tə ni /

noun

• destinies
  plural

1. something that is to happen or has happened to a particular person or thing; lot or fortune.

   Synonyms:

   kismet, karma, fate

2. the predetermined, usually inevitable or irresistible, course of events.

   Synonyms:

   future

3. the power or agency that determines the course of events.

4. (initial capital letter) this power personified or represented as a goddess.

5. the Destinies, the Fates.

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destiny ¹ British  

/ ˈdɛstɪnɪ /

noun

1. the future destined for a person or thing; fate; fortune; lot

2. the predetermined or inevitable course of events

3. the ultimate power or agency that predetermines the course of events

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Destiny ² British  

/ ˈdɛstɪnɪ /

noun

1. the power that predetermines events, personified as a goddess

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Usage

What does destiny mean? Destiny commonly refers to a specific future or outcome that results from a predetermined or inevitable course of events. The word can also refer to the course of events itself or to the power or force thought to make such things happen. A close synonym for all of these senses of the word destiny is fate. Destiny involves what is going to happen, what has to happen, or what is meant to be. If a certain future is said to be someone’s destiny, it can mean that it’s destined (foreordained or predetermined) to happen, or that it should happen. Destiny is often thought to be out of our control, though some people believe you can control your own destiny. Destiny is sometimes personified—represented as a person, such as a goddess who has the power to determine the course of events in life. When used this way, it is often capitalized. Destiny should not be confused with density, which is the quality of how dense or compact something is. Example: I believe it was my destiny to be there that day so that we could meet—it was meant to be.

Synonym Usage

See fate.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• destinies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of destiny

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English destinee, from Old French (noun use of past participle of destiner ), from Latin dēstināta, feminine past participle of dēstināre. See destine, -ee

Explanation

Destiny is what's meant to be, what's written in the stars, your inescapable fate. You might think it's your destiny to own a dog, but your sad goldfish survival rate should tell you that happy pets probably aren't in your future. A noun meaning fate, destiny is synonymous with other nouns like divine decree, fortune, and serendipity. There's no avoiding destiny — it's going to happen no matter what you do. But before you get bogged down worrying about what the distant future holds, remember what Winston Churchill said: “It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link in the chain of destiny can be handled at a time.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

destiny Destiny destinies

This taste of humiliation would change his destiny.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

“Brazil’s destiny is for Brazilians alone to determine—without foreign interference or subservience,” da Silva wrote in an opinion article published in the Washington Post over the weekend.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

Injuries, subpar performances by Rams players and coaches, and outstanding clutch play by opponents — see the 2025 Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks — could derail the Rams’ presumptive date with destiny.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Whether he chooses to fulfill his destiny alongside his twin remains to be seen.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

But for now I wondered if the destiny I was following was connected to my real name or only the bit of the name I knew.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

What 250 years means: 250 years of American means to me specifically, as an Angeleno, that we reached the goldmine, we reached the West Coast, that was Manifest Destiny.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

Many of them have already risen sharply, including the Destiny Tech100 closed-end fund, KraneShares Public-Private AI & Technology ETF, and Fundrise Innovation Fund.

From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026

The makers of Destiny 2 will stop releasing content updates for the game, effectively drawing to a close one of the industry's longest-running live-service eras.

From BBC ● May 22, 2026

One example is Destiny Tech100, which owns shares of SpaceX and other closely held tech companies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026

Said the great soldier then: “Rejoice inwardly. No crowing aloud, old woman. To glory over slain men is no piety. Destiny and the gods’ will vanquished these, and their own hardness.

From "The Odyssey" by Homer

What’s chilling about “Disruption,” an absorbing ensemble drama by Andrew Stein about the brave new world of technology, is that its dark vision of machines wresting control of human destinies doesn’t feel fantastical or futuristic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

In fact, the destinies of the three drivers who ultimately contested victory were effectively decided as they intertwined at Turn Nine in the dying seconds of the final session on Saturday.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026

Plus, they were fellow petrostates, their destinies tied to the vast pools of oil beneath their sovereign lands.

From Barron's ● May 7, 2026

At a time when many are mourning the relocation of Suehiro, First Street North has become a lesson for other communities seeking to take control of their destinies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2024

“He told me out of trust. I would never betray it. I believe that the world could be different. I believe that our destinies aren’t chains around our necks, but wings that give us flight.”

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi

Related Words

• circumstance
• future
• inevitability
• intention
• objective
• prospect