# ordain

> English word · Verb · IPA /ɔɹˈdeɪn/ · frequency rank #54,367

## Definitions
1. To prearrange unalterably.
2. To decree.
3. To admit into the ministry, for example as a priest, bishop, minister or Buddhist monk, or to authorize as a rabbi.
4. To predestine.

## Etymology
From Middle English ordeynen, from Old French ordiner, from Latin ordinare (“to order”), from ordo (“order”). Doublet of ordinate.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ordain