predestination

noun

Definition of predestinationnext
as in accident
the belief that everything that will happen has already been predetermined and cannot be changed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 predestination This is a fun twist on the ancient idea of prophecy or predestination and, as such, makes for some compelling narrative uses—for a while, anyway. — Jennifer Ouellette and Sean M. Carroll, Ars Technica, 24 Nov. 2023 Entertainment Score: 7 Science Score: 9 Arrival (2016) Enlarge / Denis Villeneuve's first foray into sci-fi offers a fun twist on the ancient idea of prophesy or predestination. — Jennifer Ouellette and Sean M. Carroll, Ars Technica, 24 Nov. 2023 In a place where both psychohistory and predestination exist, how much does personal choice matter? — Marah Eakin, WIRED, 14 July 2023 Weber pointed in particular to the Calvinist notion of predestination—the belief that God decided whether each individual would be saved or damned before the person was even born. — Benjamin M. Friedman, WSJ, 14 Jan. 2021 See All Example Sentences for predestination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predestination
  1. accident
  2. destiny
  3. hazard
  4. luck
  5. fate
  6. happenstance
  7. chance
  8. doom
Noun
  • The golden retriever didn't chew up anything during puppyhood and had no recurring accidents.
    — Kelli Bender, People.com, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Connected sensors track environmental hazards, which secure rapid response to prevent accidents.
    — Oleg Fonarov, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Definition of accident
Noun
  • Corey was taken from us much too soon, but his destiny was to leave us all with a shining example of the selfless devotion of a true American patriot.
    — TIME Staff, TIME, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Here lies the tale of Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet), mismatched young people on a date with destiny, dreamed up by James Cameron, a filmmaker more associated with smart action films than epic tragic romances.
    — Will Leitch, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
Definition of destiny
Noun
  • In the fourth category, students’ metaphors highlighted the potential hazards of AI.
    — Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Tornadoes are most likely from March through mid-June, after which damaging wind gusts become the main hazard.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of hazard
Noun
  • She’s decided to trust her luck, even if life hasn’t always been kind to her.
    — Jamie Lang, Variety, 10 Mar. 2025
  • However, there was quite a bit of luck in the chip.
    — William Lambers, Newsweek, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of luck
Noun
  • Speaking alongside Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Putin questioned the fate of remaining Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk region and claimed that Russian troops are advancing along the 1,250-mile front line.
    — Katya Soldak, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
  • The fate of that funding could mean the difference between life and death, both for red wolves and the many other species that call the Alligator River refuge home.
    — Ben Goldfarb, Vox, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of fate
Noun
  • And one benefit of a plot built on relentlessly surreal happenstance is that eventually every new plot development starts to feel like a twist — because nothing is predetermined, and rationality and rigor have already gone out the window.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Dorit plays the entire scene perfectly, whether by strategy or happenstance.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 25 Feb. 2025
Definition of happenstance
Noun
  • In the ’90s, a movie like this one might have had a chance to catch on.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Mar. 2025
  • If preview numbers are any indication, the movie has every chance of crossing $50 million and spark a turnaround at the lagging 2025 domestic box office.
    — Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2025
Definition of chance
Noun
  • The clock has been ticking for Tim ever since, as he's kept his family — wife Victoria (Parker Posey), sons Saxon (Schwarzenegger) and Lochlan (Sam Nivola), and daughter Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook) — in the dark and blissfully unaware of the impending doom.
    — Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2025
  • However, the survey results aren’t all doom and gloom, as 79% of parents reported relief in venting to friends about their most stressful parenting moments.
    — Christian Dashiell, Parents, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of doom

Browse Nearby Words

predestination
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Predestination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predestination. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on predestination

Nglish: Translation of predestination for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about predestination

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All