predestined

[pri-des-tind]

adjective

1. 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

1. the simple past tense and past participle of predestine.

Other Word Forms

• unpredestined adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of predestined¹

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

Example Sentences

"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."

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But for Escola, it seemed almost predestined, spoken into the universe so frequently it had to become true.

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In the final scene of “Forrest Gump,” a white feather dances from Forrest’s feet, into the air, representing one of the movie’s major threads: Are life’s joys and agonies predestined, or are they indiscriminate?

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In Yoruba culture, which predominates in the south-west of the country, twins are a blessing and their names are predestined.

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Still, there is no convincing some siblings who insist their birth order has predestined their role in the family.

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Related Words

• absolute 
• clear 
• definite 
• genuine 
• positive 
• real 
• safe 
• sure 
• true 
• undeniable