destinare

appoint, determine

1 / 1

A divine hand holds a life path already drawn from birth to death.

noun

predestination

pree-des-tih-NAY-shun/ˌpriːdestɪˈneɪʃn/

The belief that events are determined in advance, especially by divine will.

Etymology

preLatinbefore, in front of

+destinLatinappoint, determine

+ationLatinan action, process, or result

The pieces express determining something beforehand. In the theological sense, the determining agent is God: salvation or other outcomes are understood as settled by divine appointment rather than left undecided.

Full entry

Related word entries

predestination