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
He was born in Wichita and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Wichita in May 1994.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2025
In late 1755, Grierson gifted Rind a book by the Nonjuring bishop who’d ordained him, Archibald Campbell.
—Alexandra Cox, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Mar. 2025
Alexander came to believe that God had ordained him to save Europe, and also all of humanity and Christianity.
—James Verini, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2025
Friends suggested moving in with Geller; one of the first women ordained by the college, Geller had been offering her four-bedroom home to students since 2020.
—Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordain
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Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2025
In late 1755, Grierson gifted Rind a book by the Nonjuring bishop who’d ordained him, Archibald Campbell.
—Alexandra Cox, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Mar. 2025
Alexander came to believe that God had ordained him to save Europe, and also all of humanity and Christianity.
—James Verini, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2025
Friends suggested moving in with Geller; one of the first women ordained by the college, Geller had been offering her four-bedroom home to students since 2020.
—Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, 23 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 Apr. 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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