ordain

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ɔɹˈdeɪn/ UK /ɔːˈdeɪn/ See IPA manual

Freq #70216

Meanings

1

verb
To officially make someone a priest, minister, or other religious leader

He was ordained as a priest last spring.
2

verb
To order or decide something officially, by law or authority

The new constitution ordained that elections be held every four years.
3

verb
To decide or fix someone's fate in advance, as if by destiny

It seemed that the two of them were ordained to meet.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 verb · to order or decide... decree enact

More foresay

Word family

Forms ordainedordainingordains

Derived forms coordaindisordainforeordainmisordainordainableordaineeordainerordainmentpreordainreordainunordain

Related forms ordination

Etymology

From Middle English ordeynen, from Old French ordiner, from Latin ordinare (“to order”), from ordo (“order”). Doublet of ordinate.

ordeynen Middle English ordiner Old French ordinare Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# ordain

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ɔɹˈdeɪn/
**IPA (UK):** /ɔːˈdeɪn/
**Frequency rank:** 70216

## Meanings
1. To officially make someone a priest, minister, or other religious leader
2. To order or decide something officially, by law or authority
3. To decide or fix someone's fate in advance, as if by destiny

## Examples
- He was ordained as a priest last spring.
- The new constitution ordained that elections be held every four years.
- It seemed that the two of them were ordained to meet.

## Synonyms
- foresay

## Derived Forms
- coordain
- disordain
- foreordain
- misordain
- ordainable
- ordainee
- ordainer
- ordainment
- preordain
- reordain
- unordain

## Related Forms
- ordination

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: ordeynen
- Root: ordiner
- Root: ordinare

## Etymology
From Middle English ordeynen, from Old French ordiner, from Latin ordinare (“to order”), from ordo (“order”). Doublet of ordinate.

## AI Etymology
Ordain is from Middle English ordeynen, from Old French ordiner, from Latin ordinare (“to order”), from ordo (“order”). Doublet of ordinate. Important recorded forms include ordeynen (Middle English), ordiner (Old French), and ordinare (Latin). Current senses include to officially make someone a priest, minister, or other religious leader, to order or decide something officially, by law or authority, and to decide or fix someone's fate in advance, as if by destiny. The wider family includes derived forms such as coordain, disordain, foreordain, misordain, and ordainable and related words such as ordination.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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