foreordain

(fôr'ôr-dān', fōr'-)
tr.v., -dained, -dain·ing, -dains.
To determine or appoint beforehand; predestine.

foreordainment fore'or·dain'ment or fore·or'di·na'tion (-ôr'dn-ā'shən) n.

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verb

To determine the future of in advance: destine, fate, predestinate, predestine, predetermine, preordain. See certain/uncertain.

A cynical view of the world by Ambrose Bierce

n.

This looks like an easy word to define, but when I consider that pious and learned theologians have spent long lives in explaining it, and written libraries to explain their explanations; when I remember the nations have been divided and bloody battles caused by the difference between foreordination and predestination, and that millions of treasure have been expended in the effort to prove and disprove its compatibility with freedom of the will and the efficacy of prayer, praise, and a religious life, -- recalling these awful facts in the history of the word, I stand appalled before the mighty problem of its signification, abase my spiritual eyes, fearing to contemplate its portentous magnitude, reverently uncover and humbly refer it to His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons and His Grace Bishop Potter.

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IN BRIEF: n. - (theology) being determined in advance.

We talked about foreordination in our Theology class yesterday.

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For a list of words related to foreordain, see:

• Rites, Practices, Spells, and Symbols - foreordain: (vb) predetermine the future

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