What does predestinating mean?
Predestinating means determining or arranging something in advance, often so completely that later events appear unable to change it. In ordinary usage, the word can imply that a decision, result, or selection has been fixed before the relevant process takes place, sometimes with the negative suggestion of favoritism or manipulation. In Christian theology, it refers to the belief that God has decided beforehand who will be saved. The word is less common than predetermine and generally has a formal or archaic character. It is useful when describing a future that is portrayed as already settled, whether by divine providence or by human planning.
verbTo destine or appoint in advance, especially according to a predetermined plan or belief. In religious contexts, it refers to God's foreordaining a person's fate or salvation.
- To destsomeone in advance or appoint them to a particular role or destiny.
- To foreordain an event or outcome, especially through divine providence.
"The critics accused the committee of predestinating the outcome before the hearings began."
"The selection process risked predestinating a representative from one part of the country."
"By divine providence, the faithful believed that their salvation was predestinating before the world began."
Predestinating means turning a future plan into a fixed script before the future has had a chance to argue.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does predestinating come from?
The word comes from Latin praedestinare, formed from prae- “before” and destinare “to determine, appoint, or make destined.” English borrowed the related forms in the Middle English period, initially in theological language. Its cognates include predestination, predestined, and destiny, all of which reflect the idea of a future course fixed in advance.
Related word forms
How predestinating is actually used
The word is uncommon in modern English and has a somewhat formal or archaic tone. In theological contexts, it usually implies that God determines a person's fate or salvation beforehand; in secular contexts, it can suggest that an outcome has been unfairly arranged or decided in advance.