ordain
gb/ɔɹdˈeɪn/ us/ɔɹdˈeɪn/
B2
Inglese
~ 9600
Accezioni
0 accezioni
Verbo
B2
action
1
make someone a priest or minister
To give someone the official job of priest or religious leader in a church, usually in a special ceremony.
Schema d'uso:
to ordain [someone] (as) [a religious role]
Errore comune:
Learners sometimes confuse "ordain" with "organize" or "plan" (e.g., *"They ordained the wedding"*). "Ordain" is used for officially making someone a religious leader, not for arranging events. It is also different from simply "hire" or "appoint" someone to a non-religious job.
Sinonimi
consecrate (More formal and liturgical; can also mean to make something holy, not only to appoint a religious leader.)
Contrari
defrock (Means to remove someone's status as a priest or minister, the opposite of giving them that role.)
Collocazioni
ordain [someone] (as) a priest
|ordain [someone] (as) a minister
|be ordained (as) a priest
|be ordained (as) a pastor
|ordained clergy
Temi
religion
|society
Esempi
- She was ordained as a priest in the Anglican Church last year.
- After completing the seminary program, he hoped to be ordained by the end of the summer.
- The bishop will ordain three new ministers during Sunday's service.
- In some denominations, women are not permitted to be ordained.
- He felt called to serve and decided to seek ordination so he could be officially ordained.
Esempi per chi studia
- My friend was ordained as a pastor in June.
- The church plans to ordain five new priests this year.
- He studied for many years before he was finally ordained.
- Only the bishop can ordain new priests in that church.
- She wants to be ordained and work as a minister.
Verbo
formal
C1
action
2
order or decide by law
To say in an official and legal way that something must happen or be done.
Schema d'uso:
to ordain that [clause]
Errore comune:
Learners may try to use "ordain" in everyday contexts where "order" or "tell" is normal (e.g., *"My boss ordained me to stay late"*). In modern English, "ordain" in this sense is mostly used in legal, constitutional, or very formal writing and almost never in casual speech for simple instructions.
Sinonimi
decree (Very close in meaning; commonly used for official statements by a ruler or government, and slightly more common in modern legal and news language.)
Contrari
repeal (Means to officially cancel a law or rule, which is the opposite of ordering or establishing it.)
Collocazioni
ordain that
|as the law ordains
|the constitution ordains
|be hereby ordained
|ordain and establish
Temi
law
|government
|society
|politics
Esempi
- The new constitution ordains that all citizens have equal rights before the law.
- The council ordained that no building could exceed six stories in height.
- The statute clearly ordains that employers must provide safe working conditions.
- It was ordained by royal charter that the college would educate poor scholars.
- The regulations, as now ordained, will come into force next year.
Esempi per chi studia
- The law ordains that children must go to school.
- The king ordained that all taxes would be lower.
- Their rules ordain that members must pay a fee every year.
- The document ordains that the group meets once a month.
- The city council ordained that smoking is not allowed in restaurants.
Verbo
literary
C1
action
3
decide something as fate or God
To decide or fix what will happen, as if a god or fate makes the decision.
Schema d'uso:
to be ordained (by [God/fate]) that [clause]
Errore comune:
Learners may confuse this sense with simply "decide" or "plan" in normal situations. "Ordain" in this meaning is used when talking about fate, God, or a grand, fixed plan for the future. It is not used for everyday choices like *"I ordained to eat early"*, where "decided" is correct.
Sinonimi
destine (Also suggests a fixed future, often with a strong emotional or narrative tone; "ordain" sounds more religious or solemn.)
Contrari
prevent (If something is ordained, it cannot be stopped; to prevent something is to stop it from happening.)
Collocazioni
as fate ordained
|as God has ordained
|ordained by fate
|ordained by God
|it was ordained that
Temi
religion
|philosophy
|literature
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- It seemed as if their meeting had been ordained by fate.
- History had ordained that the two nations would one day collide.
- For reasons no one understood, it was ordained that she would lead the movement.
- They believed God had ordained their suffering for a higher purpose.
- As events unfolded, everything happened just as he had thought it was ordained to be.
Esempi per chi studia
- Some people think their life is ordained by God.
- In the story, it is ordained that the hero must die.
- He felt it was ordained that they would meet again.
- They say it was ordained by fate that she became a leader.
- The writer suggests that war was almost ordained by history.
Grammatica
Forma base
ordain
IPA
GB/ɔɹdˈeɪn/
US/ɔɹdˈeɪn/
Sillabe e accento
or - dain (2 sillabe)
Stress on 2nd syllable (dain)
Forme flesse
Verb
- Base: ordain
- 3rd Person Singular: ordains
- Present Participle: ordaining
- Past: ordained
Famiglia di parole
Forms
ordains
verb
ordaining
verb
ordained
verb
Core family
ordination
noun
Advanced or less common
preordain
verb
Espressioni
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