Have you ever been confused by the definition of destiny? This article will give you all of the knowledge you need on the word destiny, including its definition, etymology, synonyms and antonyms, example sentences, and more!
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According to Collins English Dictionary and the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, destiny is a noun that refers to a predetermined state, a divine course of events, or the fixed order of things. If someone believes in destiny, they believe in an irresistible power that governs the universe. This invincible necessity and necessary fate goes against the ideas of free will and human will. One can add the suffix nies to the end of destiny to form the plural noun destinies. Destiny is three syllables – des-ti-ny, and the pronunciation of destiny is ˈdɛstɪnɪ.
The word destiny has also been used as one of many popular baby names since the 1970s and before per the Social Security Administration in states like Tennessee and California. The popularity of this name ebbs and flows. This has been used as a baby girl’s first name for many years. The meaning of the name Destiny is fate or the face of destiny. This is a great name if you feel your child will have a strong sense of destiny or that their predetermined future is written in the cosmos. Other baby girl names that are similar sounding names include the below English baby names from The Bump:
Essence
Brittany
Destinee
Devon
Desmond
Dustin
Melanie
Weston
Boston
Easton
Dalton
Declan
Darian
Daxton
Devin
Justin
Destini
Westin
Delaney
Estefany
Preston
Many different languages also contain words that mean destiny. You may notice that many of these translations of destiny look and sound similar to the word destiny. These are called cognates, which are words in phrases in different languages that look, sound and mean something similar. These are often formed when two words have the same root or language of origin. This list of translations for the word destiny is provided by Word Sense.
According to Etymonline, the word destiny has been used since mid c14 Middle English. This comes from the Old French destinée/old French destinee, a c12 word. This is the noun use of the feminine past participle of destiner, from the Latin destinata, Latin destinare and Latin dēstināre. These come from the word stā- in Indo-European roots.
What are synonyms and antonyms of the word destiny?
There are many different words that a person can use in place of the word destiny. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that have the same meaning as another word or phrase. Learning synonyms is a great way to expand your English vocabulary or avoid repeating yourself. This list of synonyms of destiny is provided by Power Thesaurus.
There are also many different words that mean the opposite of the word destiny. These are called antonyms. Learning antonyms is another great way to expand your vocabulary. This list of antonyms of destiny is also provided by Power Thesaurus.
disaster
hard times
black cycle
petitio principii
hardship
origin
job
no-win situation
dubiousness
option
critical situation
impossibility
contretemps
can of worms
hell on earth
dithering
embarkation
circular argument
bloody cycle
chance
composite
fortuity
offset victory
double trouble
cruel cycle
cleft stick
coincidence
destructive cycle
modern history
choice
unfortunate occurrence
ill
narrow victory
heavy losses
possibility
dawdling
botched situation
cadmean victory
car crash
empty
modern world
between a rock and a hard place
random coincidence
jot
problematic situation
pyrrhic victory
infamous cycle
destitution
decision
human activity
Overall, the word destiny means fate or predestination. There is some debate whether this inevitable course of events or belief that our overall circumstances are outside of human power goes against the belief of ultimate agency, especially because some people may be considered to have a better fate while others are a victim of circumstances. This word is a noun and is also commonly used as a girl’s name in the United States with other similar names. Try using this new word of the day in a sentence today!
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.
Kevin
July 27, 2021
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