predestined
pree-DES-tind
/ˌpriːˈdes.tɪnd/
Determined or decreed beforehand by divine will or fate.
Carries cosmic or theological weight, implying an outcome settled long before events occur.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'praedestinare', joining 'prae' (before) and 'destinare' (to fasten or make firm). Early theologians used it to express how divine foresight fixed human spiritual destiny.
Word relationships
- preordained: Preordained emphasizes an official decree or ordering, while predestined focuses on destiny.
- accidental: Accidental implies chance without prior intent or determination.
Commonly confused with
- destined: Destined means headed toward a fate, whereas predestined highlights that the fate was established beforehand.
Word family
- predestination (noun): The doctrine that events or salvation are determined in advance.
- predestine (verb): To determine beforehand.
Collocations
- predestined path
- predestined fate
- divinely predestined
Example sentences
- "Calvinist doctrine asserts that salvation is predestined by God prior to creation." Theology
Memory hook
PRE (before) + DESTINED = destination set before you take your first step. Fated beforehand.
When not to use
Avoid using for mundane calendar appointments or basic daily human scheduling.
Fun facts
- Debates over predestination split European theological traditions during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation.
Related words
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