ordained; ordaining; ordains
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
U.S. Constitution
b
: destine, foreordain
It is futile to try to avoid what destiny has ordained.
: to issue an order
so the gods have ordained
ordainer
noun
Examples of ordain in a Sentence
She is an ordained minister.
The process was ordained by law.
Recent Examples on the Web
Reforms on the table include how to give greater roles to women in the Catholic Church, including ordaining them as deacons, and the greater inclusion of laity in governance and decision making.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025
This explains, if it is granted that the gods ordained some sort of greatness for the play, the nakedness of its verbal intensity.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 31 Jan. 2025
Ebenezer is where King was baptized as a child and ordained at 19.
—Jeff Martin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2025
Conference League glory would provide the kind of celebration that no longer feels ordained for Chelsea, but a top-four finish would have a far bigger impact on the club’s planning and the wider perception of the Maresca project.
—Liam Twomey, The Athletic, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordain
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Christopher Lamb, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025
This explains, if it is granted that the gods ordained some sort of greatness for the play, the nakedness of its verbal intensity.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 31 Jan. 2025
Ebenezer is where King was baptized as a child and ordained at 19.
—Jeff Martin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2025
Conference League glory would provide the kind of celebration that no longer feels ordained for Chelsea, but a top-four finish would have a far bigger impact on the club’s planning and the wider perception of the Maresca project.
—Liam Twomey, The Athletic, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordain
Cite this Entry
“Ordain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ordain. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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