ordain
/ɔːˈdeɪn
/verb [with object]
1Make (someone) a priest or minister; confer holy orders on: he was ordained a minister before entering Parliament women ordained to the diaconate (as adjective ordained) an ordained clergyman...
- While in Golden, he was ordained an Episcopal minister and later served residents in Colorado's mining camps during his scientific excursions.
- He was ordained a minister two years ago and is pastor of Perfecting Faith Church in Freeport, New York, which has more than 400 members.
- He was finally ordained as a Presbyterian minister after moving to Utica, New York, in 1822 to become principal of a school.
Synonyms
confer holy orders on, appoint, induct, install, invest, anoint, consecrate
archaic frock
2Order (something) officially: equal punishment was ordained for the two crimes [with clause]: the king ordained that these courts should be revived...
- It struck me that many West Virginians delighted in telling stories of what happened to their lives the moment the court ordained desegregation.
- She had run from the devastation she had caused and from her brethren, who pursued her to bring her to justice ordained by the council.
- Apparently, it was ordained that two brothers could not be so close, and Paddy was transferred.
Synonyms
decree, rule, order, command, enjoin, lay down, set down, establish, fix, enact, legislate, dictate, prescribe, pronounce
2.1(Of God or fate) decide (something) in advance: the path ordained by God...
- It is not ordained by God or determined by Nature.
- Surrender, compromise with the regime, or a cease-fire means abandoning the path ordained by God and signifies an abrogation of the faith.
- In any event, traditionalist liberals are just as able to claim that their faith is directly ordained by God, rather than simply a matter of human interpretation, as are reactionaries.
Synonyms
predetermine, predestine, preordain, foreordain, destine, prescribe, fate, will, determine, designate
Derivatives
ordainer
- If everything is in order, there must be an ordainer.
ordainment
- There was not only a freedom of religion but also freedom to practice a religion in any manner, without compulsion and decree or ordainment.
- In North America, in the absence of official ordainment, religious leaders connected with different Islamic centers often use the title to indicate their religious standing in the community.
- More serious than unethical conversion is unethical ordainment.
Origin
Middle English (also in the sense 'put in order'): from Anglo-Norman French ordeiner, from Latin ordinare, from ordo, ordin- (see order).
Rhymes
- round-leafed
- round-leaved
- round-leaved sundew
- roundlet
- round log
- round lot
- roundly
- roundman
- round meal
- round-mouth
- round-mouthed
- round-neck
- round-necked
- roundness
- round-nose
- round-nosed
- roundnose grenadier
- round-number
- round O
- round-off
- round on
- round (or around) the bend
- round (or around) the clock
- round-out
- round-paned