# fated

/ˈfeɪtɪd/ (US) · /fˈeɪtɪd/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fated
Updated: 2026-05-07

## Definition

destined to happen because of a power you cannot control. You use it when you believe a specific outcome is certain to occur.

For teachers: destined by or as if by fate; predetermined by an external power. Often used predicatively to describe a future that feels unavoidable.

## Examples

- They felt fated to meet each other eventually.
- The explorer believed he was fated to discover the lost city, despite the many warnings from his crew.
- In many classical tragedies, the protagonist is a fated figure whose every attempt to escape his doom only brings him closer to its fulfillment.

## Usage notes

- Typically used predicatively after a linking verb like 'be' or 'seem'; often followed by a 'to' infinitive.

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