predestinate
1
9.9
- adjective
- /ˌpriːˈdɛstəˌneɪt/
- Formal
- He felt that their meeting was predestinate, as if fate had brought them together.
Examples
-
But as the rain enters the sea, so tears surround with a predestinate hand.
-
God keep you still in that mind, so some gentleman or other shall 'scape a predestinate scratched face.
-
Many believe that our destinies are predestinate and already determined by a higher power.
-
Some philosophers argue that everything in life is predestinate and outside of our control.
Synonyms
224
4.2
Certain to happen or be true
155
4.1
Sure to happen or meant to be sent to a certain place
17
5.3
Decided before it happens
16
4.6
Already decided and certain to happen
9
7.7
When things that happen before make the result sure and not random
8
3.9
Set in advance before use, often by the maker
7
3.4
Planned before it happens
5
7.7
Fate or a higher power decides a person's life in advance
4
4.3
Decided by fate and impossible to change
1
4.2
Decided or arranged before something happens
1
9.9
Decided before it happens and cannot be changed, often because of fate or a god
1
9.1
Arranged or agreed before someone carries it out
1
8.6
A process or system whose result is fixed before it happens
Antonyms
How Determined
Surface Forms
Morphology
predestinate = destinate (semi-transparent) = pre + destin + ate
The prefix adds a straightforward 'beforehand' meaning, but the full adjectival sense is somewhat literary and tied to fate or divine inevitability.
Etymology
Predestinate as an adjective comes from pre- 'before' and destine, the same root as destiny, meaning 'fate' or 'to set', so a predestinate event is 'set before' it happens and seen as fixed ahead of time. That's why we call a role or meeting predestinate when it seems decided and cannot be changed.