commination

[ kom-uh-ney-shuhn ]

/ ˌkɒm əˈneɪ ʃən /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: commination / comminative / comminatory on Thesaurus.com

noun

a threat of punishment or vengeance.

a denunciation.

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

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

OTHER WORDS FROM commination

com·mi·na·tor, nouncom·min·a·to·ry

[kuh-min-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, kom-uh-nuh-], /kəˈmɪn əˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i, ˈkɒm ə nə-/, com·mi·na·tive, adjective

Words nearby commination

commercial traveller, commercial vehicle, commère, commie, comminate, commination, Commines, commingle, comminute, comminuted fracture, comminutor

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use commination in a sentence

The breezes that blew around his mouth in that walk carried off upon them the accents of a commination.
Return of the Native|Thomas Hardy
In that hour that earlier form of absolution will reverse itself on his lips into one of commination.
The Book-Bills of Narcissus|Le Gallienne, Richard
Then Oliver had a try; but in a minute he, too, was reciting the commination service.
The Log of a Sea-Waif|Frank T. Bullen
This is as it should be, enabling a sound Briton to go to church, without praying for the Commination Service.
The Remarkable History of Sir Thomas Upmore, bart., M.P., formerly known as "Tommy Upmore"|R. D. Blackmore

They have held Commination Services, recited mantras, and cursed us solemnly for days.
The Unveiling of Lhasa|Edmund Candler

British Dictionary definitions for commination

commination

/ (ˌkɒmɪˈneɪʃən) /

noun

the act or an instance of threatening punishment or vengeance

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

Derived forms of commination

comminatory (ˈkɒmɪnətərɪ, -trɪ), adjective

Word Origin for commination

C15: from Latin comminātiō, from comminārī to menace, from com- (intensive) + minārī to threaten

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

commination

Origin of commination

OTHER WORDS FROM commination

Words nearby commination

Words related to commination

How to use commination in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for commination

Derived forms of commination

Word Origin for commination