predetermined 1 of 2

adjective

as in preordained

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predetermined

2 of 2

verb

past tense of predetermine
as in destined
to determine the fate of in advance religious sects that believe that an individual's salvation has been predetermined by God

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of predetermined
Adjective
But Coker said school board members should be able to explore ideas, ask difficult questions, and evaluate options without every preliminary discussion being characterized as a predetermined course of action. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Oct. 2026 The dual-arm robots use Sereact’s physical AI platform Cortex to identify, grasp and sort returned fashion items without requiring individual training for each product or a predetermined list of SKUs. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026 Instead of beginning with predetermined values, generic and disconnected trainings or executive assumptions, leaders can identify the specific gap between the intended culture and employees’ lived experiences. — Gwen Mdinaradze, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026 The question is routine in that 2026 just happens to be one of the predetermined years when the matter comes up. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026 Players who find a match mark the square on their tabla with a bean or coin; the game continues until players finish predetermined objectives, such as completing a column, a row, the four corners, or the entire board. — Sanat Pai Raikar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Oct. 2026 There is no outcome that doesn't have a predetermined excuse. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Sep. 2026 The slow-moving enemies typically follow predetermined paths, which means most encounters are a game of patience. — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026 The response can be designed into the material and the way its structure is printed, allowing a flat or compact object to transform into a predetermined configuration. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Verb
The most successful transition is not necessarily one where every decision is predetermined. — Elie Nour, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026 After all, at the Academy Museum Gala, the few prizes awarded are predetermined and the pressure is off for everyone else. — Laurie Brookins, HollywoodReporter, 18 Oct. 2026 The 2027 season is set to be the first year the UIL will have predetermined sites for the semifinal games. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Sep. 2026 There aren’t many surprises in this vividly realized but predetermined drama. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026 Observers may question the point of holding elections where no meaningful opposition is allowed and the result appears largely predetermined. — Zahra Ullah, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026 There are predetermined dates for lowered flags each year, and the governor’s office announces any additional dates necessary. — Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The states cite administration statements as evidence that the Section 301 outcome was predetermined. — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026 Democracies do not function well when large numbers of citizens believe outcomes are predetermined, rules are selectively applied, or political insiders decide which questions reach the ballot. — Robert Cordy, Boston Herald, 19 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predetermined
  1. predestined
  2. destined
  3. possible
  4. doomed
  5. probable
  6. foreordained
Adjective
  • His paintings and ceramics are layered and collage-like, driven by instinct rather than by a predestined end point.
    — Marissa Gluck, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Hassouna and co-editor Denis LePaven pace the chronological patchwork of footage less as a story with a predestined shape, and more as shifting tiles of accumulating losses that the audience can traverse without being too overwhelmed.
    — Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of predestined
Verb
  • Before the pandemic, nearly 90% of the company’s products were destined for overseas markets.
    — Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Avoiding the entire iPad app ecosystem is another choice that might not age well; so is asking developers to jump on board with a device that’s clearly destined to eventually run into the iPad.
    — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of destined
Adjective
  • There was palpable excitement, especially after Barringer noted that national Democrats had put the seat on a list of ones to watch for a possible upset.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The embassy said in a statement Monday that partial curfews had been introduced in several French cities, with additional restrictions possible.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of possible
Verb
  • And writer Faran Krentcil digs through her dating and designer past to find out whether a partner’s dislike of your fashion sense means the relationship is doomed from the start.
    — InStyle, InStyle, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Those feelings shift and change with age, trending from excitement to doomed from the age range of 10-13 to 19-24.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of doomed
Adjective
  • When a conjunction is probable, SSA/STC service providers alert the operators involved, who then decide whether to undertake a collision-avoidance maneuver.
    — David Zamora, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The former will undoubtedly be supplied by Jacob Misiorowski, the Brewers’ 24-year-old flame-throwing phenom and probable Cy Young Award winner.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of probable
Adjective
  • Her foray into television, which started in 2017, was not exactly foreordained.
    — Tammy LaGorce, New York Times, 14 May 2024
  • With all of those movements, when the central issue was really crystallized as a choice between what is clearly right and just, and what is clearly unjust and wrong and deadly and dangerous, then the outcome becomes foreordained.
    — Cara Buckley, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
Definition of foreordained

Browse Nearby Words

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predetermined
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Cite this Entry

“Predetermined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predetermined. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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