predestination

noun

pre·​des·​ti·​na·​tion (ˌ)prē-ˌde-stə-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce predestination (audio)
ˌprē-de-
1
: the act of predestinating : the state of being predestinated
2
: the doctrine that God in consequence of his foreknowledge of all events infallibly guides those who are destined for salvation

Examples of predestination in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web 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 None of this amounts to spiritual predestination. Osita Nwanevu, The New Republic, 24 Aug. 2021 From the moment the brackets were released last Sunday, a final meeting between Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and Michigan State's Tom Izzo seemed like an act of basketball predestination — a necessary conclusion between two coaches that have met more times than any other pair in the NCAA Tournament. David Thompson, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2022 That is how predestination works. Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2022 Unitarians may have rejected the fire-breathing Calvinist notion of original sin, predestination, and damnation in favor of a more rational and gentler view of human nature, but the transcendentalists went further: all human inspiration was divine, all nature a miracle. Brenda Wineapple, The New York Review of Books, 8 Apr. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'predestination.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of predestination was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near predestination

Cite this Entry

“Predestination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predestination. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

predestination

noun
pre·​des·​ti·​na·​tion (ˌ)prē-ˌdes-tə-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce predestination (audio)
1
a
: the act of predestining
b
: the state of being predestined
2
: the doctrine that God has predestined some persons to eternal happiness and others to eternal punishment
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