ordained

[ awr-deynd ]

adjective

1. having been invested with ministerial, priestly, or rabbinical functions:

   Today’s lecturer is an ordained rabbi and a Talmudic scholar.

2. having been decreed, appointed, or formally established by some authority:

   If questioned, I will invoke my constitutionally ordained right to avoid incriminating myself.

3. having been destined or predestined:

   Cortez believed himself the ordained conqueror of the Aztec Empire.

noun

1. Usually the ordained. a person or persons who have been invested with ministerial, priestly, or rabbinical functions, or the category of those so invested:

   Christian leaders, especially the ordained, are expected to reflect and model the faith which they profess and teach.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of ordain ( def ).

Other Words From

• self-or·dained adjective
• un·or·dained adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ordained¹

ordain ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

The New Way Ministry statement says Pope Francis appointed Sister Becquart to her position as the Vatican’s Undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops in February 2021, making her the first non-ordained person to hold the position.

From Washington Blade

Those encounters convince him that perhaps he can stray from his pre-ordained path of villainy.

From Time

Most people know the Universal Life Church as a quick and easy place to get ordained without leaving your couch.

From The Daily Beast

He became ordained and created a new service for his company.

From The Daily Beast

As a young man, Darwin was deeply religious and even considered being ordained.

From The Daily Beast

Yup, Evelyn and Donald Knapp are “ordained Christian ministers” suing for the right to discriminate.

From The Daily Beast

Those words were said by Joshu Sasaki Roshi, who ordained Leonard Cohen as a Zen monk in 1996.

From The Daily Beast

And I am told that the governor ordained what had to be done, namely, to make no investigations against the dead woman.

From Project Gutenberg

As far above the interference of man as is the government of the external universe, is that designated the covenant, as ordained.

From Project Gutenberg

Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength (founded glory).

From Project Gutenberg

Just a few priests ordained in the Roman Catholic Church have joined the schismatic cause.

From Project Gutenberg

They despise the word of him who ordained that good the most extensive should come to sinners through that covenant.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• appointed

More About Ordained

What does ordained mean?

Ordained is an adjective that means having gained official status as a priest, minister, or other religious authority through a sanctioned process.

Ordained is also the past tense of the verb ordain, meaning to invest someone with such authority. It has several other more general meanings, including to order, command, decree, or destine. The process or ceremony in which a priest or minister is ordained is called ordination.

Example: Only an ordained minister can perform the ceremony.

Where does ordained come from?

The first records of ordained as an adjective come from around the 1300s. The verb ordain is derived from the Latin verb ordināre, meaning “to arrange, order, appoint.”

The original sense of the verb ordain is “to appoint to holy office.” In Christianity, this is done through the ceremony of ordination, which sometimes refers to the sacrament of holy orders. Those who have undergone this process are generally called ordained ministers, indicating that they have officially completed the steps to gain their status as a priest or minister. Ordained ministers are said to be members of the clergy and they are often given the title reverend.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to ordained?

• ordain (verb)
• ordination (noun)

What are some words that share a root or word element with ordained? 

 

• order
• ordinal

What are some words that often get used in discussing ordained?

• priest
• minister
• sacrament
• holy orders
• reverend
• appoint
• confer

How is ordained used in real life?

As an adjective, ordained is almost always used in religious contexts, especially in relation to Christian priests and ministers.

Today, as an ordained minister, I married my first couple! 👰🏾🤵🏾

— Ochs (@_sethao) March 14, 2020

On this feast of St Joseph, we wish Fr John many congratulations as he celebrates 50 years as an ordained priest. May God continue to bless him today and always.

— St Mary's School (@StMaryB17) March 19, 2020

LA: I need someone who is ordained stat. Minister for wedding this weekend had to cancel. Non-denominational. Help pls!

— Arley Ann (@MissArley) August 6, 2009

 

 

Try using ordained!

Is ordained used correctly in the following sentence?

I am entering the seminary in order to study to become an ordained minister.