commination

American  

[kom-uh-nay-shuhn] / ˌkɒm əˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

1. a threat of punishment or vengeance.

2. a denunciation.

3. (in the Church of England) a penitential office read on Ash Wednesday in which God's anger and judgments are proclaimed against sinners.

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commination British  

/ ˌkɒmɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of threatening punishment or vengeance

2. Church of England a recital of prayers, including a list of God's judgments against sinners, in the office for Ash Wednesday

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Other Word Forms

• comminator
  noun
• comminative
  adjective
• comminatory
  adjective

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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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

commination

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 Walter Richard Cassels

Lest, however, this commination should not prove terrible enough, the examples of Belshazzar and others were judiciously subjoined.

From History of the Rise of the Huguenots Vol. 1 by Henry Martyn Baird

Annabel Cleeve now contributed her little damnatory verse to the commination service.

From The Claw by Cynthia Stockley

It sounds to me much more like a commination service.

From The Moon out of Reach by Margaret Pedler

Now this commination, unexpected as it was from a lady of wealth and position, was not altogether unwarranted, and so I went on.

From Dr. Dumany's Wife by Mór Jókai

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