- past tense form of predestine.
- past participle of predestine.
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: pre-
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Novel Study: 1984, Part 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Whereas his documentary films crackle thanks to his unpredictable interactions with his subjects, “The Damned” cannot help but feel slightly overdetermined, the outcomes predestined rather than organically unearthed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2025
In Yoruba culture, which predominates in the south-west of the country, twins are a blessing and their names are predestined.
From BBC ● May 9, 2024
Artificial intelligence seems predestined to become a bigger part of our lives.
From Slate ● Dec. 1, 2023
"I genuinely believe there's something predestined about it," Michael recalled.
From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2023
It made me feel as though my encounter with Frankie’s crew hadn’t been some freak accident, but predestined.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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.
