destined
Americanadjective
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bound for a certain destination.
a freighter destined for Manila.
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ordained, appointed, or predetermined to be or do something.
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liable, planning, or intending to be or do something.
adjective
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foreordained or certain; meant
he is destined to be famous
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(usually foll by for) heading (towards a specific destination); directed
a letter destined for Europe
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of destined
Explanation
Someone who's destined is fated or meant to do something. If your mom says you're destined for a life on the stage, she means that it's certain you'll be an actor one day. Being destined for something can be great luck — if, for example, you're destined to be a millionaire. It can also mean something closer to "doomed," as you might be if you're destined to a string of bad luck after breaking a mirror and seeing a black cat run past at the exact same moment. The Old French root is destinée, "purpose, intent, fate, or destiny."
Vocabulary lists containing destined
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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The Tale of Despereaux
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Purple Hibiscus
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While the people of Greenland, Iceland and parts of northern Spain were destined to see a total eclipse, the eclipse witnessed in the UK was still the best since August 1999.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
People stop to photograph details destined to disappear in the cremà, when the monuments go up in flame.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026
Companies that once seemed destined for lucrative IPOs now face an uncertain future.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
He was reflecting on a time when the former railyard was destined to become a giant industrial warehouse complex.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
Also joining the group, and destined to play a key role in the excavations that followed, was Frederick van Doorninck, Jr., one of Bass’s fellow doctoral students from the University of Pennsylvania.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
