as in to destine
to determine the fate of in advance
we are such good friends, it's almost like we were foreordained to meet
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Recent Examples of foreordain
The Russian invasion of Ukraine, in February, 2022, was no more inevitable or foreordained than the U.S. invasion of Iraq, in 2003.
—
Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 12 June 2023
Before anything else is said about Lana Del Rey’s new album, let it be noted that however well the record came out, it was foreordained to come in second among her artistic works of the past year.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Mar. 2023
Pelosi is more than happy for additional evidence to be disclosed and for the Senate to call witnesses, even after the House has impeached and when the resolution of the trial is foreordained.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 17 Jan. 2020
The outcome was not foreordained, for either Bork or Mr. Biden.
—Alexander Burns, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2019
The 41st president, who couldn’t always get his sentences straight, wasn’t foreordained for history’s hall of fame.
—Josef Joffe, WSJ, 3 Dec. 2018
Aster piles on the personal confrontations and emotional breakdowns, but compounds them with unnerving new hauntings, all the way up to an ending that feels foreordained, but still shattering.
—Tasha Robinson, The Verge, 8 June 2018
This is hardly foreordained, especially if the U.S. reasserts itself on the global stage and rallies like-minded nations against the revisionists.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 18 Dec. 2017
Egypt’s slide back into authoritarianism wasn’t foreordained.
—Joshua Hammer, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2017
Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 12 June 2023
Before anything else is said about Lana Del Rey’s new album, let it be noted that however well the record came out, it was foreordained to come in second among her artistic works of the past year.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Mar. 2023
Pelosi is more than happy for additional evidence to be disclosed and for the Senate to call witnesses, even after the House has impeached and when the resolution of the trial is foreordained.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 17 Jan. 2020
The outcome was not foreordained, for either Bork or Mr. Biden.
—Alexander Burns, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2019
The 41st president, who couldn’t always get his sentences straight, wasn’t foreordained for history’s hall of fame.
—Josef Joffe, WSJ, 3 Dec. 2018
Aster piles on the personal confrontations and emotional breakdowns, but compounds them with unnerving new hauntings, all the way up to an ending that feels foreordained, but still shattering.
—Tasha Robinson, The Verge, 8 June 2018
This is hardly foreordained, especially if the U.S. reasserts itself on the global stage and rallies like-minded nations against the revisionists.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 18 Dec. 2017
Egypt’s slide back into authoritarianism wasn’t foreordained.
—Joshua Hammer, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foreordain
Verb
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Since the bill applies retroactively – all the way back to 1965 – it would be destined for serious legal challenges.—
Peter Kwong,
Orange County Register,
10 Mar. 2025
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These intricate dresses are destined to become heirlooms when treated with love and care.—
Joy Montgomery,
Vogue,
9 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Conference League glory would provide the kind of celebration that no longer feels ordained for Chelsea, but a top-four finish would have a far bigger impact on the club’s planning and the wider perception of the Maresca project.—
Liam Twomey,
The Athletic,
9 Feb. 2025
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Other information provided by the Archdiocese noted Reidy was ordained by Bishop Timothy J. Harrington at Saint Paul Cathedral in Worcester in 1994, and was assigned to St. Peter Parish in Worcester before becoming rector of Saint Paul Cathedral by Bishop Daniel P. Reilly.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Their overreliance on aging players, failure to address the team’s depth, and inability to replace Soto could doom them to their first sub-.500 finish since 1992.—
Daniel R. Epstein,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
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The strategy is almost always doomed to fail because investors don't know when to get back into the market to capture the rebound, while the stock market has historically always recovered even from major setbacks.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The big picture: New Orleans Saints fans had waited a long time to get to the Super Bowl, and the roster the team had then felt fated, especially in the early years after Hurricane Katrina.—
Chelsea Brasted,
Axios,
7 Feb. 2025
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Resisting Liverpool and causing pandemonium in the process was almost fated.—
Phil Hay,
The Athletic,
13 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foreordain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreordain. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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