predestine means to determine the future or the fate of something in advance; to preordain. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 81 out of 100.
predestine is pronounced /pɹeˈdɛstɪn/.
Why “predestine” is a great word
To determine or decree the fate of something or someone irrevocably in advance. From Old French *prédestiner*, from Medieval Latin *praedestināre*, from Latin *prae-* ("before") + *destinare* ("to determine, destine"). First recorded in English 1350–1400. Unlike "predetermine," which suggests a logical sequence set in motion, or "foreordain," which emphasizes a sovereign decree, "predestine" carries the chill of a verdict delivered in eternity, before the first breath is drawn. It is the unchangeable script, the single path laid through a labyrinth before the first step is taken, the puppet’s strings fixed before the play begins—a quiet acknowledgment that some stories are bound before the first word is spoken.
Etymology
From Old French prédestiner, from Medieval Latin praedestinare. By surface analysis, pre- + destine. Displaced native Old English foreteohhian.
verb
- To determine the future or the fate of something in advance; to preordain.
- To foreordain by divine will.