predestined
Americanadjective
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of predestined
First recorded in 1540–50; predestine + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective; predestine + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb
Explanation
Predestined means decided by fate. If you believe the universe wants you to be a famous singer, you can say you're predestined to be a star. The word predestined means "decided or determined in advance." It comes directly from the Latin word praedestinare, which means “determine beforehand." It’s a word that’s popular in religious doctrine, where there’s a lot of attention paid to what the future holds and to what people should do and why. When something is predestined, it has been determined beforehand, and there’s nothing you can do to change it.
Vocabulary lists containing predestined
Much Ado About Nothing
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: pre-
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Novel Study: 1984, Part 2
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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.
He asked, on another, if we had sold a copy of "Predestined" yet.
From Walking-Stick Papers by Holliday, Robert Cortes
Predestined is the term of thy long life; Short span is mine, And menaced by a thousand ills.
From The Heroic Enthusiasts (Gli Eroici Furori) Part the First An Ethical Poem by Williams, L.
So I salute you as a reptile grand Predestined to regenerate the land.
From The Devil's Dictionary by Bierce, Ambrose
Predestined by pure Grace to Bliss, My soul in transport bows submiss To God, and hopes a crown to win.
From The Emigrant Mechanic and Other Tales in Verse Together with Numerous Songs Upon Canadian Subjects by Cowherd, Thomas
Predestined thus they do retain That image earliest given, To Adam, yet unknowing pain, From heaven.
From Lays of Ancient Virginia, and Other Poems by Bartley, James Avis
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.
