ordination

Ordination is usually the formal act of making someone a priest, minister, or other religious leader. It is the moment when a person is officially given the right to carry out religious duties. It is not just taking a job; it is often seen as a public and spiritual recognition of a calling.

You might read about the ordination of a new bishop, priest, or minister, or attend a ceremony with prayers and other formal acts. In older or more formal use, the word can also mean the act of arranging or ranking things in a set order, though this meaning is much less common today.

Ordination is most often used for the formal religious ceremony or act by which someone is made a priest, minister, or other member of the clergy. In many traditions, it marks the point when that person is officially recognized as able to lead worship, perform certain religious duties, and serve the community in a spiritual role.

The exact form of ordination depends on the religion or denomination. In some churches, it includes the laying on of hands and formal prayers. In others, different rites are used. What these ceremonies usually share is public recognition: the community accepts that the person has been chosen and given authority for a religious role.

However, ordination is not always about religion. In older or more technical use, it can also mean the act of putting things into order or giving them a rank. This meaning is uncommon in everyday English, but it appears in formal writing when someone is talking about arrangement, sequence, or rank.

So the word usually points to a serious religious step, but it can also carry the older idea of setting things in order. In both senses, it suggests a formal act that gives structure, position, or authority.