If you believe in predestination, you believe that people have no control over events because everything has already been decided by a power such as God or fate.
Synonyms: fate, destiny, predetermination, election [theology] More Synonyms of predestination
predestination in British English
(priːˌdɛstɪˈneɪʃən)
noun
1. theology
a.
the act of God foreordaining every event from eternity
b.
the doctrine or belief, esp associated with Calvin, that the final salvation of some of humankind is foreordained from eternity by God
2.
the act of predestining or the state of being predestined
predestination in American English
(priˌdɛstəˈneɪʃən)
noun
1. Theology
the doctrine that
a.
God foreordained everything that would happen
b.
God predestines certain souls to salvation and, esp. in Calvinism, others to damnation
2.
a predestinating or being predestinated; destiny; fate
Word origin
ME predestinacioun < LL(Ec) praedestinatio
Examples of 'predestination' in a sentence
predestination
It seemed unlikely she would ever have a conversation with him about predestination.
Salley Vickers INSTANCES OF THE NUMBER 3 (2002)
(noun)
Definition
the belief that future events have already been decided by God
Her belief in predestination absolved her from personal responsibility.
Synonyms
fate
I see no use quarrelling with fate.
destiny
We are masters of our own destiny.
predetermination
election (theology)
doom
It was their doom to never be successful in business.
necessity
foreordination
foreordainment
Additional synonyms
in the sense of destiny
Definition
the future destined for a person or thing
We are masters of our own destiny.
Synonyms
fate,
fortune,
lot,
portion,
doom,
nemesis,
divine decree
in the sense of doom
It was their doom to never be successful in business.