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Prepositions after verbs

Destine for, to, by, in, or into

Destine is most often used with for or to when describing a future role or purpose. By, in, and into are not standard complements after destine.

Quick answer

Which preposition is used with destine?

Use destine for to show an intended purpose or future. Destine to also appears, especially before a role or fate. By, in, and into are not usual complements after destine.

She seemed destined for a career in politics.
The child was destined to become a scientist.
The land was destined for redevelopment.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
destined for + future/purpose

Showing intended future use

Use destined for to describe an expected role, career, or purpose.

He is destined for success.
The building is destined for demolition.
2
destined to + verb

Showing expected outcome

Use destined to before an infinitive verb.

They were destined to meet again.
She seems destined to lead the company.
3
by + agent

Using by separately

By may appear in passive clauses to identify an agent, but it is not selected by destine itself.

The decision was made by the board.
The route was chosen by engineers.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
destined for
The athlete was destined for greatness.
Expected future role or outcome.
destined to
She was destined to win.
Expected to do or become something.
destined by
Nonstandard: He was destined by fame.
Not an idiomatic complement after destined.
destined into
Nonstandard: They were destined into leadership.
Into is not normally used after destined.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using into after destined

Use for or to instead of into.

✕ She was destined into management. ✓ She was destined for management.

Using by as the main complement

By does not normally follow destined to express future role.

✕ He was destined by success. ✓ He was destined for success.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The company is destined ___ rapid growth.
2. She was destined ___ become a writer.
3. Which sentence is standard English?

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between destined for and destined to?

Destined for is followed by a noun phrase, while destined to is followed by a verb.

Is destine common in active voice?

The passive form destined is much more common in everyday English.

Can by appear near destined?

Yes, but usually only as part of a separate passive structure identifying an agent.

dabble, in, dabble, with "damage to" or "damage by"? dance to, with, on, in or for? "dangle from" or "dangle in"? dare to, for, on, as or at? dash to, into, out, from or on? daydream about, for, in, of or on? "debate in", "debate on" or "debate with"? deceive by, in, into, on or about? "decide on", "decide to" or "decide by"? declare in, by, on, to or as? decline in, by, from, to or for?

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