predestine
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to foreordain; determine beforehand
-
theol (of God) to decree from eternity (any event, esp the final salvation of individuals)
Other Word Forms
- predestinable adjective
Etymology
Origin of predestine
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English predestinen, from Latin praedestināre; pre-, destine
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
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
