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• communion
  communion

  noun

  Often Communion
• Communion
  Communion

  noun

  the act of participating in the Eucharist

communion

American  

[kuh-myoon-yuhn] / kəˈmjun jən /

noun

communions plural

1. Also called Holy Communion.  Christianity. Often Communion

   1. the celebration of the Eucharist .

   2. the act of receiving the Eucharistic elements.

   3. the elements of the Eucharist; the consecrated bread and wine.

   4. the antiphon sung at a Eucharistic service.

2. a group of persons having a common religious faith; a religious denomination.

   The Church of Pakistan is part of the Anglican communion.

   The organization promotes Islamic solidarity and fosters a sense of belonging to the Islamic communion worldwide.

3. a group of people sharing a profession, hobby, interest, etc..

   Just as there are rascals in the communion of bankers, editors, doctors, or barbers, so there are rascals among fishermen.

4. interchange or sharing of thoughts or emotions; intimate communication.

   Each day I spend some time walking the trails in communion with nature.

   The two enjoyed a wordless communion in the comfort of each other’s company.

5. association; fellowship.

   Light has no communion with darkness.

6. the act of sharing something or holding it in common, or the state of something so held.

   Fundamental to Scots law was the “communion of goods,” the joint ownership of property by spouses.

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Communion ¹ British  

/ kəˈmjuːnjən /

noun

1. the act of participating in the Eucharist

2. the celebration of the Eucharist, esp the part of the service during which the consecrated elements are received

3. 1. the consecrated elements of the Eucharist

   2. ( as modifier )

      Communion cup

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communion ² British  

/ kəˈmjuːnjən /

noun

1. an exchange of thoughts, emotions, etc

2. possession or sharing in common; participation

3. (foll by with) strong emotional or spiritual feelings (for)

   communion with nature

4. a religious group or denomination having a common body of beliefs, doctrines, and practices

5. the spiritual union held by Christians to exist between individual Christians and Christ, their Church, or their fellow Christians

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Communion Cultural  

1. A sacrament of Christianity. In a reenactment of the Last Supper, the words of Jesus — “This is my body” and “This is my blood” — are spoken over bread and wine (the elements of Communion), which are then shared by the worshipers. Communion, also known as the Eucharist, commemorates the death of Jesus. (See transubstantiation.)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-communion
  noun
• communionable
  adjective
• communional
  adjective
• communionally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• communions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of communion

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin commūniōn-, stem of commūniō “mutual participation, sharing,” from commūn(is) common + -iō -ion

Explanation

A communion is an intimate connection. Many people enjoy hiking in the woods in order to have a sort of communion with nature. When you connect in a meaningful way with something, or intimately share your feelings with someone, you experience a communion. The word implies a deep connection, particularly a spiritual one. A Communion, with a capital C and also called Holy Communion, is a Christian religious service involving consecrated bread and wine. The Latin root of communion is communionem, meaning "fellowship, mutual participation, or sharing."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

communion Communion communions

Playing the Dead’s “Blues for Allah” on this tour — an LP rooted in Middle Eastern scales, pirouetting time signatures and improvisational telepathy — put him in communion with his old friend.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026

"Views on this have been widely and boldly expressed in recent months and we are acting in communion with our beloved audiences, and extraordinary artists," she says.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

Charlie taught me to love all parts of our Christian communion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

“It should be a thing that brings people together, not separates them. A thing that allows for communion, not for competition.”

From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2026

That blank look would remain on his face until Father Benedict ended the sermon, until it was time for communion.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The first half of Communion, on Vance’s journey from evangelical Christianity to atheism to Catholicism, takes the reader through his disillusionment with the conservative evangelical churches of his youth.

From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2026

In Communion, Doyle has combined those events with a fictional version of the industrial action which occurred after Tata's announcement that it planned to shut off the blast furnaces.

From BBC ● May 31, 2026

Why does Roman Catholicism prohibit other faiths from taking Communion?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026

He wanted to offer Holy Communion, the central sacrament of Roman Catholic faith, not only to the detainees inside the facility, but also to the federal agents stationed there.

From Salon ● Apr. 6, 2026

She told me that her da, now long dead, had given it to her for her First Holy Communion when she was thirteen.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

But, as Artie discovers, brief communions are possible, and redemption, however modest, is often near at hand.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026

Orthodox Christianity is one of the largest Christian communions in the world — after Catholicism and the Protestant church.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 24, 2022

There are now two separate Orthodox communions within Ukraine: one following Moscow, and one answering to Kyiv.

From Salon ● Mar. 26, 2022

"Birthdays, communions, whatever it is - it was all taken away," he said.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2021

It has educated many daughters of ministers of different communions, free of charge for tuition.

From Charles Lewis Cocke Founder of Hollins College by Smith, William Robert Lee

Related Words

• intimacy
• rapport
• togetherness