destine

verb

des·​tine ˈde-stən How to pronounce destine (audio)
destined; destining

transitive verb

1
: to decree beforehand : predetermine
was not destined to attain the throne
2
a
: to designate, assign, or dedicate in advance
believed their son was destined for the priesthood
destined to succeed
a flaw that destines them to fail
b
: to direct, devise, or set apart for a specific purpose or place
freight destined for European ports

Examples of destine in a Sentence

his extreme height seemed to destine him for a career in basketball
Recent Examples on the Web For racehorses, the current rules will add roughly 10 extra minutes to preparing each shipment destined for Great Britain, according to Keane, who has increased his office staff to seven, from three prior to Brexit. Olivia Fletcher, Fortune Europe, 11 Mar. 2024 With their small brains and enormous bodies, these creatures have long been the poster children for animals destined to go extinct. Kristi Curry Rogers, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2024 Carrie Tolles, the band’s publicist at 4AD, had seen the band live at Brooklyn venue Market Hotel a few years prior, and felt they were destined for something big. Jeff Yerger, SPIN, 4 Mar. 2024 Biden would of course go on to defeat President Donald Trump in 2020, and now the pair appear destined for a rematch in November. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 29 Feb. 2024 The Saunders are Hassidic Jews, with Danny apparently destined to succeed his father as rabbi and authority figure. Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2024 Lashley headed straight for McIntyre and was almost destined to be pinned by Drew. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 Argan oil is the secret weapon here, so my skin never gets too dry or matte-looking, and with 30 shades, you’re destined to find your perfect match. Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 23 Feb. 2024 Related Articles Even from prison, Navalny reminded a world of what Putin’s admirers would like to forget: that Russia is not destined by the heavens for eternal dictatorship, nor must Putin’s survival be seen as ordained. Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French destiner, from Latin destinare, from de- + -stinare (akin to Latin stare to stand) — more at stand

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near destine

Cite this Entry

“Destine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destine. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

destine

verb
des·​tine ˈdes-tən How to pronounce destine (audio)
destined; destining
1
: to settle in advance
a plan destined to fail
2
: to choose, assign, or dedicate in advance
destined their child for the study of law
3
: to be bound or directed
a ship destined for New York

More from Merriam-Webster on destine

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