preordain

American  

[pree-awr-deyn] / ˌpri ɔrˈdeɪn /

verb (used with object)

1. to ordain beforehand; foreordain.

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preordain British  

/ ˌpriːɔːdɪˈneɪʃən, ˌpriːɔːˈdeɪn /

verb

1. (tr) to ordain, decree, or appoint beforehand

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Other Word Forms

• preordination noun
• unpreordained adjective

Etymology

Origin of preordain

First recorded in 1525–35; pre- + ordain

Explanation

To preordain something is to decide that it is going to happen in the future, or to influence it to happen. You might believe that your genes preordain you to be a great math student if both of your parents are brilliant mathematicians. A magician might preordain the sudden appearance of a rabbit from an empty hat — in other words, she predicts or decides that she'll magically produce the rabbit. Other things preordain certain results by simply pointing in that direction or making the outcome seem inevitable. Torrential rain preordains a soggy croquet course the next day, and a plane's flight plan preordains exactly where (and approximately when) it will land. Pre- means "before," and ordain means "decide" or "order."

Example Sentences

Daddis believes that “a twisted relation with faith and fear, if left unbroken, can only preordain the nation to a militarized way of life bounded by the grimness of war.”

From Salon • Oct. 1, 2025

Although the variants increase risk, they do not preordain kidney disease.

From New York Times • May 17, 2022

Not only does Polachek not want to know what other people think she should be doing, she doesn’t want to preordain it herself.

From The Guardian • Oct. 17, 2019

But, Blumenthal is careful to add, it doesn't preordain another heart attack.

From Time Magazine Archive

From them my waste aimings and futile    I subtly could cover; 'Every best thing,' said they, 'to best purpose    Her powers preordain.'

From Poems of the Past and the Present by Hardy, Thomas

Related Words

• foretell
• predetermine