commination
Americannoun
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a threat of punishment or vengeance.
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a denunciation.
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(in the Church of England) a penitential office read on Ash Wednesday in which God's anger and judgments are proclaimed against sinners.
noun
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the act or an instance of threatening punishment or vengeance
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Church of England a recital of prayers, including a list of God's judgments against sinners, in the office for Ash Wednesday
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of commination
1400–50; late Middle English (< Anglo-French ) < Latin comminātiōn- (stem of comminātīo ), equivalent to commināt ( us ), past participle of comminārī to threaten ( com- com- + minārī to threaten) + -iōn- -ion
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nowhere, however, in this Epistle is there any trace of an established ministry; on the contrary, at the close, the 'spiritual' among them are instructed to administer the office of commination.
From Supernatural Religion, Vol. III. (of III) An Inquiry into the Reality of Divine Revelation by Cassels, Walter Richard
For some moments he kept silence—as if in unspeakable commination.
From Secret Places of the Heart by Wells, H. G. (Herbert George)
Then follows a commination at the end, which is not unusual in such cases.
From The Catholic World; Volume I, Issues 1-6 A Monthly Eclectic Magazine by Rameur, E.
He's cursed me forever—Put it all down in black and white—a regular commination service.
From The Incomplete Amorist by Nesbit, E. (Edith)
It sounds to me much more like a commination service.
From The Moon out of Reach by Pedler, Margaret
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
