ordain

verb

or·​dain ȯr-ˈdān 

ordained; ordaining; ordains

transitive verb

1

: to invest (see invest entry 2 sense 1) officially (as by the laying on of hands) with ministerial or priestly authority

was ordained as a priest

2

a

: to establish or order by appointment, decree, or law : enact

we the people … do ordain and establish this Constitution

—U.S. Constitution

b

: destine, foreordain

It is futile to try to avoid what destiny has ordained.

intransitive verb

: to issue an order

so the gods have ordained

ordainer noun

ordainment

ȯr-ˈdān-mənt 

noun

Synonyms

• destine
• doom
• fate
• foredoom
• foreordain
• predestine
• predetermine
• preordain

Examples of ordain in a Sentence

She is an ordained minister.

The process was ordained by law.

Recent Examples on the Web

He would be ordained a priest in 1918, at age 24, after studying in Rome. —Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 8 Dec. 2024

He was ordained a priest on June 14, 1964, at Woodstock College in Baltimore County. —Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 6 Nov. 2024

During previous papacies the question of ordaining women was not even up for discussion. —Christopher Lamb, CNN, 27 Oct. 2024

After receiving a Master of Divinity degree from St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, he was ordained on Jan. 24, 1953, at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco. —Jason Green, The Mercury News, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ordeinen, from Anglo-French ordener, ordeiner, from Late Latin ordinare, from Latin, to put in order, appoint, from ordin-, ordo order

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

ordain

verb

or·​dain ȯr-ˈdān 

1

: to make a person a Christian minister or priest by a special ceremony

2

a

: decree entry 2

it was ordained by law

b

: destine sense 1

we seem ordained to fail