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.
It sounds to me much more like a commination service.
From The Moon out of Reach by Pedler, Margaret
Had he chosen another interpretation and delayed, and been mistaken, then, too, commination would have fallen.
From The Long Roll by Johnston, Mary
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 Jókai, Mór
"Oh, hang Professor Wildmarsh!" said Keniston, softening the commination with a smile.
From Crucial Instances by Wharton, Edith
Even the bishops and abbots of Norman blood disregarded the commination, and remained staunch to Harold.
From Wulf the Saxon A Story of the Norman Conquest by Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
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.
