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Synonyms

ordination

American  
[awr-dn-ey-shuhn] / ˌɔr dnˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. Ecclesiastical. the act or ceremony of ordaining.

  2. the fact or state of being ordained.

  3. a decreeing.

  4. the act of arranging.

  5. the resulting state; disposition; arrangement.


ordination British  
/ ˌɔːdɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

    1. the act of conferring holy orders

    2. the reception of holy orders

  1. the condition of being ordained or regulated

  2. an arrangement or order

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nonordination noun
  • postordination adjective

Etymology

Origin of ordination

1350–1400; Middle English ordinacioun < Late Latin ōrdinātiō ordainment, Latin: a putting in order, appointment, equivalent to ōrdinā(re) to order, arrange (derivative of ōrdō, stem ōrdin-, order) + -tiō -tion

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.

Dame Sarah told Theresa May her approach has always been to encourage clergy in their ministries, even if they were theologically opposed to the ordination of women.

From BBC

He has been stripped of his ordination certificate amid the probe, China's Buddhist association said on Monday.

From BBC

Not long after his ordination, he was named the Jesuit provincial for Argentina, which put him in charge of the order’s activities throughout the country.

From Los Angeles Times

He resisted the ordination of women, declaring that Pope John Paul II had once and for all ruled out the possibility.

From BBC

He never announced a retirement but quit fighting and began preaching, on street corners at first, then, after ordination, in his own Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Houston.

From Los Angeles Times