predestined

American

[pri-des-tind] / prɪˈdɛs tɪnd /

adjective

destined in advance; foreordained; predetermined.

Many circumstances combined to mark out the English colonies of America as the predestined seat of a great free nation.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of predestine.

Other Word Forms

unpredestined adjective

Etymology

Origin of predestined

First recorded in 1540–50; predestine + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective; predestine + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb

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.

"The programme emphasises that the genetic insights revealed in the films shed light on Hitler, but they don't tell us he was biologically predestined to behave in a particular way."

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2025

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

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

If Jefferson seemed predestined to tell people what they wanted to hear, Adams now acknowledged that his own destiny was just the opposite: to tell them what they needed to know.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023