destine

verb

des·​tine ˈde-stən How to pronounce destine (audio)
destined; destining
Synonyms of destinenext

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 child was destined for high office
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

Synonyms of destine

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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.
And more than half of Venezuela’s barrels are destined for the United States, where refineries in the Gulf are capable of processing its heavy, viscous form of crude, said Jungman. — Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026 The feud between Rhodes and Punk seemed destined to continue as a major attraction on WWE SmackDown. — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 Just one year later, Major Matt Mason was no more, destined only to be coveted decades later as collectors items . — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 1 Aug. 2026 Such insights and supporting data can help pierce the gloom in some quarters that AI is destined to be an engine of large-scale job losses and devaluation of human skills. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2026 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

Rhymes for destine

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Browse Nearby Words

destination
destine
destined to become a classic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Destine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destine. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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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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