Predestined

Predestined is an adjective describing events or outcomes considered to have been determined in advance, often by a higher power, fate, or preexisting laws. The notion implies a degree of inevitability regarding future events, sometimes at odds with human agency.

The term derives from Latin praedestinatus, past participle of praedestinare, "to appoint beforehand." In common usage, predestined suggests that outcomes cannot be altered by human actions; in philosophical or theological discussions, the idea is examined in relation to free will and moral responsibility.

In Christian theology, predestination is a major topic. Calvinists emphasize unconditional election, teaching that God has chosen some for salvation and others for damnation apart from human merit. Arminians argue that election is conditional on divine foreknowledge and human response. Other strands, such as Molinism or various Reformed interpretations, articulate different mechanisms by which predestination operates. In Islam, concepts such as qadar (divine decree) hold that God determines all that happens, yet many traditions maintain that humans possess limited free will within that framework.

Philosophically, predestination intersects with determinism and the problem of free will. Determinists argue that all events are necessitated by preceding causes, while compatibilists attempt to reconcile determinism with agency. In secular usage, predestined can describe perceived inevitability in life outcomes or relationships, often metaphorical rather than theological.

The term is often used interchangeably with preordained and foreordained, though some writers distinguish predestination as a theological or metaphysical concept from secular notions of fate or destiny.