ordination

ordination — noun

1. the ceremony that makes someone an official religious leader, or the state of ha

1.nounC2
Definition

the ceremony that makes someone an official religious leader, or the state of having that role

Example

The church held Maria's ordination on Sunday after morning prayer.

collocation: hold an ordination

Family members traveled from Tainan for Daniel's ordination at the cathedral.

place: ordination at a cathedral

Common collocations
  • ordination ceremony
  • ordination service
  • after ordination
  • delay ordination
Synonyms
  • consecration

    a broader religious word that can also refer to setting a person or thing apart as sacred

  • installation

    focuses on putting someone into a role, not specifically giving holy orders

  • appointment

    a broad formal word for choosing someone for a position, often without a religious rite

Antonyms
  • defrocking

    the removal of priestly status; much rarer and more negative

Grammar Patterns

hold an ordination

after ordination

ordination at a cathedral

Usage Note

Often used with hold, perform, prepare for, and after. Context shows whether it points to the ceremony itself or the official status received through that ceremony.

Common Mistakes

Her ordination from law school was last spring.
Her graduation from law school was last spring.
Ordination is for entering religious office, not finishing school.

Word family

  • ordain
    verbC1
  • ordained
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Ordination is the most exact word when someone is formally admitted to religious ministry. It usually refers to becoming a priest, minister, rabbi, or another member of the clergy. Consecration is also religious, but it is broader: it can describe setting a person or thing apart for sacred use, and in some churches it is used for bishops rather than new priests. Installation focuses on putting someone into a role, such as a pastor or professor, and does not always involve holy orders. Appointment is broader still and can happen in any organization, often without a ceremony. Use ordination for the religious rite itself: The church scheduled her ordination for June. Use appointment for general job contexts: His appointment was announced by email.

ordination ↗consecrationinstallation ↗appointment ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • ordination ceremony
  • ordination service
  • ordination vows

Phrases

  • hold an ordination
  • prepare for ordination
  • after ordination

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Ordination comes from Latin ordinatio, based on ordinare, meaning to arrange or appoint. Through later church use, English developed ordination as the word for formally placing someone into religious office.