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Religious Studies & Theology vocabulary · Religious Institutions and Roles

Ordain

Meaning in religious studies & theology, with examples

/ɔːˈdeɪn/verbCommon term

In religious studies & theology, ordain means: To make someone a priest, minister, rabbi or other religious leader through an official ceremony.

In Turkish: takdis etmek, (din görevlisi olarak) atamak, ruhban sınıfına almak

How it is used

Mostly used in the passive: be ordained (as) a priest, newly ordained clergy. The noun is ordination (the ordination of women). Buddhist monks and nuns are also ordained into the monastic community. Sunni Islam has no ordination in this sense; imams are trained and appointed.

Example sentences

  1. She was ordained as a rabbi after five years of study at the seminary.

  2. The Church of England ordained its first women priests in 1994.

Common collocations

  • be ordained a priest
  • newly ordained
  • ordination of women
  • ordained minister
  • clergyThe people who are formally trained and appointed to perform religious duties and lead a community, such as priests, ministers, imams and rabbis, considered as a group.
  • priestA person authorized to perform sacred rituals, such as offering sacrifices or administering sacraments, in traditions such as Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity and Hinduism.
  • rabbiA Jewish religious teacher and scholar trained in Jewish law, who often leads a congregation, teaches and answers questions on religious practice.
  • monkA man who has left ordinary life to live under religious vows, usually in a community, devoting himself to prayer, study or meditation.

More terms: Religious Institutions and Roles

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