predestermination

Definition

Noun: The act of determining or deciding something beforehand; the state of being predetermined.

  1. Prior determination: The process of settling or fixing something in advance.
  2. Philosophical concept: In theology or philosophy, the doctrine that events are already decided or fixed in advance, often by divine will or fate.
Usage Examples
  • (The result was decided beforehand.)
  • (The idea that events are predetermined by a higher power.)
  • (His success appeared to be fixed in advance, not earned.)
Advanced Usage

  • "Predestination" vs. "Predetermination": While "predestination" is often used in theological contexts (especially in Calvinism) to refer to God's foreordaining of salvation or damnation, "predetermination" is broader and can apply to any situation where an outcome is fixed in advance by any cause.

    • The scientist argued that genetic predetermination influences many traits. (Genes determine characteristics beforehand.)

  • "Predetermination of a variable": In mathematics or programming, setting a value or condition before a process begins.

    • The algorithm requires the predetermination of initial parameters. (The starting values must be set in advance.)
Variants and Related Words

  • Predetermine (verb): to decide or fix in advance.

    • The rules predetermine the winner of the game. (The rules decide the winner beforehand.)

  • Predetermined (adj): decided or fixed in advance.

    • The meeting had a predetermined agenda. (The agenda was set before the meeting.)

  • Predeterminism (noun): the philosophical belief that all events are predetermined.

    • Predeterminism argues that free will is an illusion. (The belief that everything is fixed in advance.)
Synonyms
  • Foreordination: the act of ordaining or appointing beforehand (often used in religious contexts).
  • Preordination: the state of being ordained or decreed in advance.
  • Predeciding: the act of deciding something before it occurs.
  • Fate: a power that predetermines events (often used in a broader, less technical sense).
Related Idioms

  • "Written in the stars": an idiomatic expression meaning predetermined by fate.

    • Their meeting was written in the stars. (It was destined to happen.)

  • "Set in stone": meaning something is fixed and unchangeable.

    • The schedule is not set in stone; we can change it. (The schedule is not predetermined permanently.)
Phrasal Verbs
  • Predetermine to: (rarely used as a phrasal verb; typically used as a transitive verb without a particle.)
    • The conditions predetermine the outcome to failure. (The conditions cause the outcome to be failure in advance.)