Destiny: What Is Supposed to Happen
Destiny is the course of events held to be fixed in advance. It differs from fate in tone: destiny suggests a purpose to be fulfilled, while fate suggests something inescapable.
Destiny is what is meant to happen. Its difference from *fate* is one of mood rather than meaning: people speak of fulfilling a destiny and of suffering a fate, and almost never the reverse.
- A predetermined course of events. *It was her destiny to lead.*
- The power thought to control this. *Destiny had other plans.*
- A future regarded as inevitable. *The destiny of the nation.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | destiny | A great destiny. |
| Adjective | destined | Destined for greatness. |
| Related | destination | The final destination. |
| Related | fate | A cruel fate. |
| Related | predestination | The doctrine of predestination. |
How it is used in a sentence
- He was destined for the law from childhood.Destined for — marked out for.
- They took control of their own destiny.A common phrase in sport, where it means the result is in their hands.
- Manifest Destiny was a nineteenth-century American doctrine.The belief that westward expansion was ordained.
Destiny, fate, fortune and providence
- Destiny — a purposeful outcome, often positive
- Fate — an inescapable outcome, usually grim
- Fortune — chance, which can go either way
- Providence — divine care guiding events
- Kismet — from Turkish, meaning fate or lot, borrowed into English in the nineteenth century
From Old French *destinee*, from Latin *destinare*, to make firm or determine, from *stare*, to stand. The same verb gives destination: your destiny and your destination are both where you were headed all along.
Destiny or fate?
Destiny suggests purpose and often something to be achieved. Fate suggests something imposed, usually unwelcome.
Is destiny countable?
Yes: *our destinies were linked*. But it is far more often used in the singular.