What does ordination mean?
Ordination most often names the formal religious act by which a person is authorized or installed for ministry, especially in a Christian church. The ceremony is conducted by an authorized religious authority and signifies both appointment and, in some traditions, a change in the person's status or role. Outside religious settings, the word can more formally mean appointment to an office or establishment in a position, as when a government creates a commission. A rarer, literary sense refers to arranging or ordering things. The word therefore carries a strong sense of deliberate institution: someone is not merely chosen but formally set apart, authorized, or placed within a structure. Its religious associations make it more solemn and specialized than the general words appointment or installation, while its secular use is comparatively uncommon. Etymologically, it developed from Latin words associated with order and arrangement, explaining the connection between organizing something and formally establishing someone within an ordered institution.
nounThe act or ceremony of formally ordaining someone, especially a member of the clergy; the formal appointment or establishment of a person in an office. More rarely, it means the arranging or ordering of things.
- The religious ceremony or process by which a person is formally authorized for ministry, especially in a Christian church.
- The formal appointment or establishment of a person in an office, position, or other institutional role.
- The arranging or ordering of things or people, now a rare or literary use.
"The cathedral was filled with family and friends for the young priest's ordination."
"After her ordination, she began serving congregations throughout the diocese."
"The ordination of the new regulatory commission was marked by a formal ceremony and public announcement."
Plural usage is relatively uncommon and usually refers to multiple religious ceremonies or formal acts of appointment.
"The bishop conducted three separate ordinations that year."
Ordination began as the language of arrangement and order before it became the language of formally installing clergy.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does ordination come from?
Ordination comes from Latin ordinatio, meaning an ordering or arrangement, which was derived from ordinare, “to arrange” or “set in order.” It entered English in the 16th century, initially referring broadly to arrangement or ordering, before developing the ecclesiastical sense of formally appointing someone to religious ministry. The religious sense reflects the idea of setting a person apart and assigning them a place within an ordered institution. English cognates such as ordinary, ordinal, and ordinance share the same Latin root associated with order.
Related word forms
How ordination is actually used
The word is most familiar in Christian and some other religious contexts. Its secular use is formal and comparatively uncommon, while the sense meaning arrangement or ordering is now rare or literary.
Easily confused with ordination
Ordination formally authorizes or installs someone in a role, whereas coordination means the organization or harmonious arrangement of activities or people.