What does predestined mean?
Predestined means determined or destined in advance. It describes a person, event, or outcome whose future course appears fixed before it unfolds, often because of fate, divine providence, or an unavoidable chain of causes. The word commonly appears in statements such as “predestined to succeed” or in descriptions of a “predestined role,” especially when discussing religion, history, or personal destiny. Its strong implication of inevitability can make it sound dramatic or fatalistic, so it is less usual in neutral everyday English than destined. Predestined may also be used more broadly for anything whose outcome was effectively established beforehand. In modern usage, it is typically an adjective, while related forms such as predestine and predestination express the act or idea of determining a course in advance.
adjectiveDetermined or destined in advance, especially by fate or divine providence.
- Established or determined in advance, especially by fate or divine providence.
- Having a future course or outcome fixed from the outset.
"She seemed predestined to become the country's leading historian."
"The match seemed predestined to end in a draw."
"He believed that his success was predestined by a higher power."
Some words describe a future as inevitable; predestined suggests the script was written before the story began.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does predestined come from?
Predestined ultimately comes from Latin praedestinare, formed from prae- “before” and destinare “to appoint or determine.” The idea was adopted into English through French predestiner and related Latin forms. Predestination developed in theological contexts to mean God's determining of souls' destinies before creation, while the later adjective predestined broadened to describe any outcome fixed in advance.
Related word forms
How predestined is actually used
The word is more common in literary, philosophical, and religious contexts than in everyday speech. It often carries a sense of inevitability or divine providence, and can sound formal or old-fashioned.
Easily confused with predestined
Destined refers to a future outcome that is determined by a particular cause or course of events, whereas predestined more strongly suggests that the outcome was fixed in advance, often by fate or divine power.