destiny
UK[ˈdestəni]US[ˈdestəni]
n
the things that will happen in the future, especially those that cannot be changed or controlled
n
the power believed to control what happens in the future; fate
Morpheme Breakdown
destin
y
destin
make firm
y
noun suffix
Etymology
the word 'destiny' traces its lineage to the latin verb 'destinare', meaning 'to make firm, establish, or determine'. this verb itself is a compound of the intensive prefix 'de-' and the root 'stanare', related to 'stare' (to stand), conveying the sense of something being fixed or settled. entering english via old french 'destinee', the term originally referred to a predetermined decree or a fixed outcome. over time, it evolved from this concrete sense of an established order to the more abstract and powerful modern concept of an inevitable, often personified, force that shapes the future course of events.
Analysis
Structure: destin (make firm) + y (noun suffix)
destin (from latin 'destinare', meaning 'to make firm, establish, determine', itself from 'de-' (completely) + 'stanare' (to make firm, from 'stare' to stand)); y (a noun-forming suffix of middle english origin, from old french '-ie', from latin '-ia', indicating state or condition).
Examples
she always believed it was her destiny to become a great musician.
the destiny of the nation was decided on that battlefield.
he felt he was in the hands of destiny and could do nothing to change his fate.