destiny
noun
something that is to happen or has happened to a particular person or thing; lot or fortune.
destiny
American
[des-tuh-nee]
/ ˈdɛs tə ni /
noun
-
destinies
plural
-
something that is to happen or has happened to a particular person or thing; lot or fortune.
-
the predetermined, usually inevitable or irresistible, course of events.
- Synonyms:
- future
-
the power or agency that determines the course of events.
-
(initial capital letter) this power personified or represented as a goddess.
-
the Destinies, the Fates.
destiny
1
British
/ ˈdɛstɪnɪ /
noun
-
the future destined for a person or thing; fate; fortune; lot
-
the predetermined or inevitable course of events
-
the ultimate power or agency that predetermines the course of events
Destiny
2
British
/ ˈdɛstɪnɪ /
noun
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
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.”
Vocabulary lists containing destiny
May the 4th Be With You: Star Wars Words
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Holes
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"Bonne Annee," Vocabulary from the personal essay
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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.
See Examples For:
"It is not just that shopping centres have one destiny; they really don't," says Dr Kardi Somerfield, a lecturer in marketing at the University of Northampton.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Many investors will react with incredulity, pointing to Japan as Exhibit A of why demography is destiny.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
Some researchers worried about AI safety also cite enfeeblement as a risk, a “WALL-E” future in which humans gradually cede control to machines and eventually become unable to define, or even understand, our destiny.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
“People wait their whole life to find their calling,” Casey’s teacher tells her about the scholarship, asserting that a natural fluency in science means it must be her destiny.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026
Because being a Spare meant your destiny and magic didn’t match up with anyone else’s.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
It's early on in her career, and Destiny refuses to disclose precisely what she is earning, but says she's already making money.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
Relatives said Destiny Harrison was home-schooling Isaiah with a computer program.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
In one case, Destiny Byassee, a 22-year-old Florida mother of two, died after the air bag in her Chevrolet Malibu exploded during a crash.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Song remains adamantly offline, relying on the "Four Pillars of Destiny" astrology in braille and on her four decades of experience in careful listening -- a skill her automated competition cannot match.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
For example, many school textbooks uncritically accept the ideas expressed in the Doctrine of Discovery, Jefferson’s statement on expansion, and Manifest Destiny.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
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
Many of the differences in the characters’ destinies have been due to circumstances beyond their control, and perhaps their choices have been likewise inevitable, though the payoff is a poignancy that enriches the comedy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025
I reported in 2021 that shareholders were already asking for more disclosures from managements about how their activities contribute to climate change, and more about how climate change will affect their destinies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 8, 2024
He asked easy, drawling questions about me, his other son, his wife, and he laughed, amused, when I informed him of their destinies.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
