French word

destinée

Pronunciation

IPA/destine/

Meaning

  • feminine nounfate

Example

Sa destinée était déjà écrite.

Her fate was already written.

Illustration for destinée (fate)

More examples

Il a décidé de prendre sa destinée en main.

He decided to take his destiny into his own hands.

Core concept

A life path drawn ahead as if its course were already fixed.

Common phrases

  • prendre sa destinée en main

    take one's destiny into one's own hands

  • changer sa destinée

    change one's destiny

  • une destinée toute tracée

    a predetermined destiny

Similar words

avenir: The time and events that will come later.
projet: A specific plan or idea being considered for the future.

Definition in French

Désigne le futur d'une personne vu comme déjà tracé ou déterminé, souvent employé pour parler d'un sort individuel ou collectif.

Word origin

The noun destinée comes from the past participle of French destiner, which derives from Latin destinare, meaning to set or determine.

Usage tips

  • Destinée has a literary or dramatic tone, while avenir suits a person's future and projet suits a planned undertaking.

Other meanings

  • destinynoun
  • lotnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word