destine

destine — verb

1. to be controlled by fate so that a particular event is certain to happen in some

1.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

to be controlled by fate so that a particular event is certain to happen in someone's life, especially something important that cannot be avoided.

Example

From a young age, people said Adina was destined to become a great musician.

be destined + to-infinitive for fate-driven outcome

The old wooden ship seemed destined to sink on its very first journey.

Common collocations
  • destined to fail
  • destined for greatness
  • destined to succeed
  • destined for failure
Synonyms
  • predetermined

    more neutral, can refer to cause-and-effect rather than fate

  • fated

    more dramatic, strongly tied to destiny or luck

  • foreordained

    religious or spiritual tone

Grammar Patterns

be destined + to-infinitive

be destined + for + noun phrase

it is/was destined that + clause

Usage Note

Always passive. The focus is on events controlled by fate or a higher power, not by human planning. This sense is common in literary and narrative contexts.

Common Mistakes

She destined to win the award.
She was destined to win the award.
'destine' is nearly always used in the passive voice.
He is destining to be a leader.
He is destined to be a leader.
'destine' is never used in continuous (-ing) forms.

2. to be planned or chosen in advance for a particular career, function, or positio

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to be planned or chosen in advance for a particular career, function, or position, usually as a result of human decisions or training.

Example

After years of training, João was destined to take over the family farm.

be destined + to-infinitive for planned role

The money collected last year was destined for the new children's hospital.

Common collocations
  • destined for a career in
  • destined to serve as
  • destined for greatness
Synonyms
  • designated

    more official and formal, implies a clear decision

  • assigned

    more neutral, common in work and education contexts

  • earmarked

    mainly for funds or resources, less personal

Grammar Patterns

be destined + for + noun phrase

be destined + to-infinitive

Usage Note

Always passive. Unlike sense 1 (PREDESTINED BY FATE), this sense refers to plans made by people or institutions — a career path, a designated use, or an assigned role.

Common Mistakes

The government destined the land for a park.
The land was destined for a park.
Active use is extremely rare; use passive instead.
João destined to run the restaurant.
João was destined to run the restaurant.
The auxiliary 'was' (or 'were') is required.

3. to be reserved or separated from other things for a specific use, goal, or desti

3.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to be reserved or separated from other things for a specific use, goal, or destination, often by deliberate choice.

Example

A quiet corner of the studio was destined to become Yuna's painting space.

be destined + to-infinitive for reserved purpose

The old wooden boards were destined for the shelves in the living room.

Common collocations
  • destined for the shelves
  • destined to become a
  • destined for a specific purpose
Synonyms
  • reserved

    less formal, common in everyday contexts

  • set aside

    phrasal verb, less formal than 'destined'

  • earmarked

    especially for funds, resources, or items

Grammar Patterns

be destined + for + noun phrase

be destined + to-infinitive

Usage Note

Always passive. This sense emphasises a concrete separation or reservation — setting something aside for a practical purpose rather than an abstract fate or career path.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe the idea that a future outcome is already decided, but they differ in tone and scope. 'Destine' (almost always in the passive: 'be destined to') is the most widely used in literary and conversational English — it suggests a life path or important future event shaped by fate. 'Predetermine' is more neutral and cause-and-effect: a scientific experiment's results can be predetermined by the setup, with no sense of mystery. 'Fate' as a verb ('be fated to') is more dramatic and carries a stronger emotional charge of doom or romance. 'Foreordain' is largely confined to religious or theological writing, where a divine being decides events in advance. For everyday narrative, 'be destined to' is the natural choice: 'They seemed destined to meet again.' vs. 'They were fated to meet again' (more dramatic) vs. 'Their meeting was foreordained' (too religious for most contexts).

destine ↗predeterminefate ↗foreordain

Common collocations

Nouns

  • destined path
  • destined role
  • destined outcome
  • destined purpose

Adverbs

  • clearly destined
  • seemingly destined
  • apparently destined
  • ultimately destined
  • somehow destined

Phrases

  • be destined for greatness
  • be destined to become
  • be destined to fail

Prepositions

  • destined for
  • destined to

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Destine entered English around the 1300s from Old French 'destiner', which came from Latin 'destinare' — a word meaning 'to make fast, establish, determine'. The Latin root combines 'de-' (down, away) and 'stinare' (related to 'stare', meaning 'to stand'), so the original image was of something being firmly fixed in place. Over time the meaning moved from physically securing something to mentally deciding or appointing, and finally to the idea of fate determining the course of life.