The term “ordain” in the preamble of the U.S. Constitution refers to the formal act of establishing or enacting something through authority. In this context, it is used to signify that the people of the United States are granting themselves the power to create and establish the Constitution.
When the Constitution begins with “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America,” the word “ordain” underscores the idea that this governance is not imposed from above but rather is a collective decision made by the citizens themselves.
This reflects a significant democratic principle in which the authority of government is derived from the consent of the governed, emphasizing that the Constitution is a product of the people’s will and determination to guide their own political future.