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
Born in Dover, Delaware, Hutchins began preaching at just 8 years old and was ordained by age 12.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 June 2025
Image In addition to learning his lines, Wallace became ordained via an online application approved by the District of Columbia.
—Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 19 May 2025
The men were in their early 20s; this was before they were ordained by their respective religious bodies: Snider at Luther Seminary in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Prevost within the Augustinian order of the Roman Catholic Church.
—Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 16 May 2025
How a Chicago native became pope: See Robert Francis Prevost's path to making history
Prevost was ordained in 1981 as a member of the Order of Saint Augustine.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordain
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Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 June 2025
Image In addition to learning his lines, Wallace became ordained via an online application approved by the District of Columbia.
—Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 19 May 2025
The men were in their early 20s; this was before they were ordained by their respective religious bodies: Snider at Luther Seminary in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Prevost within the Augustinian order of the Roman Catholic Church.
—Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 16 May 2025
How a Chicago native became pope: See Robert Francis Prevost's path to making history
Prevost was ordained in 1981 as a member of the Order of Saint Augustine.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 9 May 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 14 Jun. 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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