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.
Cassandra is a clairvoyant who needs to protect three young women who are destined to develop superpowers who are targeted by a powerful assassin. Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025 Douthat Trump Is on a Path to Failure The fact that Trump survived bad trajectories before doesn’t mean that this one is destined to reverse. David Pierson Joao Silva Julia Jacobs Ross Douthat, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025 As the hospital's chief medical officer, Gloria seems destined to continue to butt heads with Robby over the business side of saving lives. Megan McCluskey, Time, 11 Apr. 2025 After that, the show was destined for Sondheim’s home turf. Frank Rizzo, Variety, 9 Apr. 2025 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

Cite this Entry

“Destine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destine. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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