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

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

From Salon

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?

From Los Angeles Times

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

From BBC

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

From New York Times

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