1
2
as in to order
to request the doing of by virtue of one's authority a new bill that would ordain the funding of public schools through state lottery revenues

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in to enact
to put into effect through legislative or authoritative action the founders of the African republic ordained a form of government that was closely modeled on that of the United States

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ordain Following in the footsteps of his older brother Brian, Farrell entered the Legionaries of Christ congregation in 1966 and was ordained a priest in 1978 in Rome. Chad De Guzman, Time, 22 Apr. 2025 Progressive Catholics have been pushing for women to be ordained as deacons and priests for years. John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2025 In 1969, four days short of his 33rd birthday, Bergoglio was ordained as a priest. Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2025 Shulman, 31, attended day school and Yeshiva University; he was ordained at its seminary. Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ordain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordain
Verb
  • The same day, John told ABC News that his brother was destined to become a religious leader.
    Jordana Comiter, People.com, 9 May 2025
  • Los Angeles and Pope Leo XVI One way or another, billowing white smoke was destined to be on my agenda yesterday.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
Verb
  • The cycle continues Martinez and another pledge were ordered to finish a half-gallon of rum between them, and Martinez’s blood-alcohol content was measured at 0.372 after his death, almost five times the legal limit, his family previously said in a statement.
    Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 3 May 2025
  • And those watering holes in the terminal selling overpriced cocktails would, of course, go out of business without nervous fliers who order a few drinks before their flights.
    Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 3 May 2025
Verb
  • Some lawmakers have argued that the act cannot be used by the president to enact tariffs.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
  • The 1970 Clean Air Act specifies that California can receive waivers from the Environmental Protection Agency to enact clean air standards that are tougher than federal limits because the state has historically been the most polluted air in the nation.
    Lisa Friedman, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Verb
  • The trailer also teases a larger role for Quynh (Veronica Ngô), the immortal doomed to eternal drowning for witchcraft, who was previously rescued from an Iron Maiden at the bottom of the ocean in the first film's epilogue.
    EW.com, EW.com, 8 May 2025
  • But without assistance either from the Allies in the west or the approaching Soviet Army in the east, the endeavor was doomed to failure, too.
    Paul Hockenos, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 May 2025
Verb
  • The court is also deciding whether parents with religious objections can request that their children be excused from class when books with LGBTQ+ characters are being used.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 1 May 2025
  • Meanwhile, Athlon Sports reports heralded basketball player PJ Haggerty is requesting a $4 million NIL deal in the transfer portal.
    Nathan Goldman, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Verb
  • The issue became a flashpoint for the Justice Department in March, when Pardon Attorney Liz Oyer refused to add Gibson to a pilot program that had whittled a list of 95 non-violent offenders down to nine who had passed rigorous FBI background checks.
    Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 1 May 2025
  • For Reese, that means passing through the post and out of the elbow to initiate high-low sequences with Cardoso and feed the guards on the perimeter.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ordain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordain. Accessed 15 May. 2025.

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