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
Prevost was ordained the next June.
—Paul Elie, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
Tips for a Brazil Road Trip Divinely ordained or not, our journey left its mark.
—María Cristina Lalonde, Travel + Leisure, 29 Dec. 2025
Brian Frulla and Jesse Lopez, who were ordained this summer and are now experiencing their first Christmas in their new roles.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 2025
He was ordained in 2004 and arrived in the Diocese of Brooklyn in 2009.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025
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Paul Elie, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
Tips for a Brazil Road Trip Divinely ordained or not, our journey left its mark.
—María Cristina Lalonde, Travel + Leisure, 29 Dec. 2025
Brian Frulla and Jesse Lopez, who were ordained this summer and are now experiencing their first Christmas in their new roles.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 2025
He was ordained in 2004 and arrived in the Diocese of Brooklyn in 2009.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 20 Dec. 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 6 Jan. 2026.
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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