commination

American  

[kom-uh-ney-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  

/ -trɪ, ˈkɒmɪnətərɪ, 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

• comminative adjective
• comminator noun
• comminatory adjective

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

They toiled upward with stubborn determination, and wasted breath in voluble commination of the length of the way, when they could have employed it more usefully in compassing it.

From White Fire by Oxenham, John

In that hour that earlier form of absolution will reverse itself on his lips into one of commination.

From The Book-Bills of Narcissus An Account Rendered by Richard Le Gallienne by Le Gallienne, Richard

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 Baird, Henry Martyn

It sounds to me much more like a commination service.

From The Moon out of Reach by Pedler, Margaret

His method is to ask at once more than human nature can be expected to give, and then pour out a whole commination service of anathemas when his demands are not complied with.

From Great Britain's Sea Policy A Reply to an American Critic reprinted from 'The Atlantic Monthly' by Murray, Gilbert