pre·des·ti·na·tion

(prē-dĕs′tə-nā′shən)

1. The act of predestining or the condition of being predestined.

2. Theology

a. The doctrine that God has foreordained all things, especially that God has elected certain souls to eternal salvation.

b. The divine decree foreordaining all souls to either salvation or damnation.

c. The act of God foreordaining all things gone before and to come.

3. Destiny; fate.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

predestination

(priːˌdɛstɪˈneɪʃən)

1. (Theology) theol

a. the act of God foreordaining every event from eternity

b. the doctrine or belief, esp associated with Calvin, that the final salvation of some of mankind is foreordained from eternity by God

2. the act of predestining or the state of being predestined

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pre•des•ti•na•tion

(prɪˌdɛs təˈneɪ ʃən, ˌpri dɛs-)

n.

1. an act of predestinating or predestining.

2. the state of being predestinated or predestined.

3. fate; destiny.

[1300–50; Middle English < Late Latin]

predestination

1. the action of God in foreordaining from eternity whatever comes to pass.
2. the doctrine that God chooses those who are to come to salvation.

predestination

The doctrine of Calvinist and other beliefs that God has determined from eternity those to be saved or damned regardless of merit or actions.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	predestination - previous determination as if by destiny or fate destiny, fate - an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
	2.	predestination - (theology) being determined in advance; especially the doctrine (usually associated with Calvin) that God has foreordained every event throughout eternity (including the final salvation of mankind) foreordination, predetermination, preordination election - the predestination of some individuals as objects of divine mercy (especially as conceived by Calvinists) theology, divinity - the rational and systematic study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truth theological doctrine - the doctrine of a religious group

predestination

noun fate, destiny, predetermination, election (Theology), doom, necessity, foreordination, foreordainment Her belief in predestination absolved her from personal responsibility.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

predestination

noun

That which is inevitably destined:

destiny, fate, fortune, kismet, lot, portion.

Translations

prédestination

predestinazione

predestination

[priːˌdestɪˈneɪʃən] N → predestinación f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

predestination

[ˌpriːdɛstɪˈneɪʃ^ən] n → prédestination f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

predestination

n → Vorherbestimmung f, → Prädestination f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

predestination

[priːˌdɛstɪˈneɪʃ/ən] n → predestinazione f

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

"Stoutness and slimness seem to be matters of predestination," said Anne.

"Oh, well, that's another instance of predestination," laughed Anne, as they went down the garret stairs.

View in context

The higher a man stands on the social ladder, the more people he is connected with and the more power he has over others, the more evident is the predestination and inevitability of his every action.

View in context

I told her I hadn't -- that it was a matter of predestination coupled with inveterate Sloanishness and I wasn't a match for both combined."

View in context

Throughout there was a strange bitterness; an absence of consolatory gentleness; stern allusions to Calvinistic doctrines--election, predestination, reprobation--were frequent; and each reference to these points sounded like a sentence pronounced for doom.

View in context

They therefore as to right belongd, So were created, nor can justly accuse Thir maker, or thir making, or thir Fate; As if Predestination over-rul'd Thir will, dispos'd by absolute Decree Or high foreknowledge; they themselves decreed Thir own revolt, not I: if I foreknew, Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault, Which had no less prov'd certain unforeknown.

View in context

Great criminals bear bout them a kind of predestination which makes them surmount all obstacles, which makes them escape all dangers, up to the moment which a wearied Providence has marked as the rock of their impious fortunes.

View in context

Our young people are diseased with the theological problems of original sin, origin of evil, predestination and the like.

View in context

Especially in the context of the Protestant merger in the Netherlands this approach is very much needed, as is apparent in the discussions about predestination with the orthodox wing of the Dutch Reformed Church.

Dutch Lutheranism keeps its identity as it becomes part of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands

Just as Catholics do not include in their belief system reincarnation, predestination or zombies.

Diversity among atheists

Calvinism is the vision of Christianity that John Calvin held, especially concerning predestination. Calvin said that God sovereignly predestined (foreordained, willed, decreed) everything that happens in the world.

Traditional Baptists and Calvinism: if we are not Calvinists, what shall we call ourselves? Arminians does not describe us accurately, and many Baptists think Arminians are people from Armenia. Non-Calvinistic Baptists is negative