destiny

destiny — noun

1. the events or situation that a particular person or group will one day face, esp

1.nounB2
Definition

the events or situation that a particular person or group will one day face, especially ones that cannot be changed.

Example

Jiwoo always believed it was her destiny to become a doctor.

The two lovers felt that destiny had brought them together.

destiny as the subject that brings people together

Common collocations
  • fulfil your destiny
  • accept your destiny
  • escape your destiny
  • meet your destiny
  • shape your own destiny
  • destiny awaits
Synonyms
  • fate

    very similar in meaning, but fate often carries a darker or more negative feeling, while destiny can suggest a positive purpose.

  • fortune

    focuses on luck or wealth rather than a full life path; less about inevitability.

  • lot

    emphasises the idea that a person's situation is randomly assigned by life; slightly more formal.

Antonyms
  • choice

    destiny implies events you cannot change; choice is the power to decide for yourself.

  • free will

    the philosophical opposite — the belief that people control their own actions.

Grammar Patterns

possessive + destiny

someone's destiny + to-infinitive

Usage Note

Often takes a possessive determiner (my, his, her, their). Commonly pairs with verbs like fulfil, accept, escape, meet, or shape. The infinitive pattern 'it is someone's destiny to do something' is very frequent.

Common Mistakes

I want to decide my own destiny by myself.
I want to decide my own destiny.
'by myself' is redundant; destiny already implies something personal.
The destiny of the company are uncertain.
The destiny of the company is uncertain.
destiny is singular and takes a singular verb, even when followed by a plural noun.

2. an invisible power or natural force that many people believe decides everything

2.nounC1
Definition

an invisible power or natural force that many people believe decides everything that will happen in life, beyond what anyone can control.

Example

Ziad does not believe in destiny or any force that controls people's lives.

negative construction: not believe in destiny

Valentina felt that destiny was pushing her toward a difficult decision.

destiny as an active force

Common collocations
  • believe in destiny
  • destiny decides
  • destiny controls
  • destiny is written
  • destiny is determined
  • fight against destiny
Synonyms
  • fate

    used to describe the same controlling force, but fate can feel more negative or random.

  • providence

    carries a religious meaning — God's plan rather than an impersonal force; more formal.

  • karma

    a specific belief from Hinduism and Buddhism where actions in life determine future events.

Antonyms
  • free will

    the belief that people make their own choices, opposed to destiny as a controlling force.

  • coincidence

    events that happen by chance rather than through a planned force.

Grammar Patterns

destiny + verb (as subject)

believe in destiny

Usage Note

Uncountable in this sense — do not say 'a destiny' when referring to the force. Often occurs as the subject of verbs like decide, control, determine, guide, or direct. In literature and mythology, destiny is frequently personified as a deity or a group of goddesses.

Common Mistakes

He believes in a destiny that controls everything.
He believes in destiny that controls everything.
when referring to the abstract force, do not use the article 'a'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Destiny, fate, fortune, and lot all describe the events of a person's life, but they differ in tone and scope. Destiny often implies a sense of purpose or grand life path — a person's destiny is something they are meant to achieve, and the word carries a neutral or positive feeling. Fate is very similar in meaning but tends to be darker or more neutral, especially in fixed phrases like 'a fate worse than death' or 'meet one's fate'. Fortune focuses specifically on luck, wealth, or prosperity rather than a full life story — you can 'have good fortune' without it being your entire destiny. Lot emphasises the idea that one's circumstances are assigned randomly, as in 'it was his lot to suffer' or 'each person must accept their lot in life'. For example, winning a championship might be described as 'his destiny' (purposeful life path), but being caught in a storm could be 'his fate' (unavoidable bad outcome), while inheriting money would be 'good fortune'.

fate ↗fortune ↗lot ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • destiny is sealed
  • master of one's own destiny
  • a stroke of destiny
  • destiny calls

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Destiny comes from Latin 'destinare', meaning 'to determine, appoint, or make fast'. This was formed from 'de-' (down, away) and 'stinare', related to 'stare' (to stand). Through Old French 'destinee' ('that which is fixed or appointed'), the word entered Middle English around the 1300s with the meaning of a predetermined course of events. For centuries it has been used both for the actual events of one's life and for the imagined power that arranges those events.