What does foreordain mean?
Foreordain is a formal verb meaning to decide or decree something in advance, so that it happens exactly as already determined. Its strongest association is theological: in Christian traditions influenced by Augustine and later Calvinism, events and even individual salvation are said to have been foreordained by God before the world began. Beyond religion, the word appears in philosophical debates about fate and free will, and in secular rhetoric where critics claim an outcome — a trial, an election, a decision — was foreordained long in advance and therefore not fairly reached. It usually appears in the passive form, as in 'their meeting was foreordained,' lending events a sense of inevitability or destiny. Derived from the prefix 'fore-' (beforehand) plus 'ordain' (to decree), the word belongs to a family that includes ordain, preordain, and predestination. Though rare in casual conversation, it remains valuable wherever writers wish to evoke the tension between design and chance.
verbTo decide or determine something in advance, especially by divine will or fate; to predestine an outcome before it comes to pass.
- To decree or determine something beforehand by divine will or fate (the dominant sense, common in theological contexts such as Calvinist discussions of predestination).
- More generally, to fix or settle an outcome in advance, whether by fate, circumstance, or deliberate design.
"The founders believed that liberty was foreordained, not merely hoped for."
"In Calvinist theology, the elect are foreordained to salvation before the foundation of the world."
"Critics argued that the verdict was foreordained long before the trial began."
Foreordain carries 'fore' — from Old English for 'before' — making it one of English's built-in time machines: the decision happens before the event, sometimes before the person ever exists.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of foreordain
Foreordain combines the native English prefix 'fore-', meaning 'beforehand', with 'ordain', which derives from Latin 'ordinare' (to arrange or set in order) via Old French 'ordreiner'. The word arose in English in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century, largely within theological debates over predestination. Its cognates include ordain and preordain, and it is closely related conceptually to 'predestination', from Latin 'praedestinare'.
Related word forms
How foreordain is actually used
Foreordain is formal and largely confined to religious, philosophical, or literary contexts, especially discussions of predestination in Christian theology. It is typically used in the passive ('was foreordained') rather than with a personal subject. It carries connotations of inevitability and loss of free will, so it can sound fatalistic. In everyday modern usage, 'predetermine' is more common.
Easily confused with foreordain
Afford means to have enough resources to do or buy something, while foreordain means to determine in advance; they share only a similar 'fore-/for-' spelling pattern.
Preordain and foreordain are near-synonyms meaning to determine in advance, with 'pre-' and 'fore-' both simply indicating 'beforehand'; the terms are largely interchangeable.