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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
William, who was the duke of Normandy, took issue with the appointment, claiming he’d been destined for the throne, and invaded Britain. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024 The pass-happy approach seemed destined to doom the Trojans until midway through the third quarter, when Moss dropped back on fourth and nine, in desperate need of a spark. Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024 Noa seems destined for much greater things than working at the DMV. Joe Otterson, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024 But if people disagree on who won the election, some percentage of bettors are destined to be deeply unhappy, no matter how fairly these markets are resolved. Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for destine 

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 30 Nov. 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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