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:
Market size need not be destiny, if you can scout and sign and coach and develop players.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
The runway-turned-test track was overhauled in 2011—new layout, fresh asphalt, safety barriers—and now includes two clinically perfect, constant-radius 180-degree turns: the hairpins of destiny.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Whether he chooses to fulfill his destiny alongside his twin remains to be seen.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
That they’ll meet again Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium seems more like destiny than coincidence, but who wins the reunion may be decided, in part, by factors other than the play on the field.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Hamilton was hardly unique in his recognition that the vast resources of the North American continent constituted a repository of riches that, once unlocked, offered prospects of unparalleled prosperity and national destiny.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Destiny Church in Edinburgh, where Ross had been a member, also paid tribute to her.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Many of them have already risen sharply, including the Destiny Tech100 closed-end fund, KraneShares Public-Private AI & Technology ETF, and Fundrise Innovation Fund.
From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026
Shares of closed-end fund Destiny Tech100 have been whipsawed this week, reflecting the promise and peril of trying to access stocks before their IPOs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
In other words, when investors trade Destiny Tech100, they are trading the fund’s shares with each other, not directly investing in private companies such as SpaceX or Anthropic.
From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026
“That’s right,” I interrupted, deciding I’d better take Destiny into my own hands.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
What’s chilling about “Disruption,” an absorbing ensemble drama by Andrew Stein about the brave new world of technology, is that its dark vision of machines wresting control of human destinies doesn’t feel fantastical or futuristic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 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
An attempt was made in 1992 to "finally allow cities to take charge of their own destinies" through the 74th amendment of the Constitution.
From BBC ● Dec. 28, 2025
“Fat Ham” practices what it preaches by lavishing laughter and delight as it encourages us to take our destinies caressingly in hand.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2024
But if the planets could determine the destinies of nations, how could they avoid influencing what will happen to me tomorrow?
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
