predetermine

verb

pre·​de·​ter·​mine ˌprē-di-ˈtər-mən 

predetermined; predetermining; predetermines

transitive verb

1

a

: foreordain, predestine

b

: to determine beforehand

2

: to impose a direction or tendency on beforehand

Synonyms

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

Examples of predetermine in a Sentence

The sex of the child is predetermined when the egg is fertilized.

religious sects that believe that an individual's salvation has been predetermined by God

Recent Examples on the Web

Forbes is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Choosing Their Own Career Path Increases Engagement Most organizations have predetermined career paths for employees in alignment with their department’s goals. —Kate Wieczorek, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024

By the finale, the choices our main trio make feel inevitable, almost predetermined. —Zachary Siegel, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2024

More gracefully and graciously, it could be described as avos, a word for the Russian attitude of ignoring the possibility of negative outcomes, with the belief that luck predetermines the result anyway. —Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024

The West’s twentieth-century economic success was not predetermined. —Liaquat Ahamed, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin praedeterminare, from Latin prae- + determinare to determine

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

predetermine

verb

pre·​de·​ter·​mine ˌprēd-i-ˈtər-mən 

1

: predestine

2

: to decide or settle beforehand

meet at a predetermined place

predetermination

-ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-shən

noun