Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Jump To:
Synonyms

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.


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

    1. the consecrated elements of the Eucharist

    2. ( as modifier )

      Communion cup

"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

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

"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

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.)


Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns


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."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing communion

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.

See Examples For:

By tomorrow, in communion with millions of others, they will be able to say: "I saw it!"

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

At the door, Springfield pastors were offering communion and prayer.

From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026

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

It means a baptised follower is "out of communion" with the Church - meaning they cannot receive the sacraments, for example going to confession, or get married within the Roman Catholic Church.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

Consequently, the four daughters grew up having little communion with their father.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

Though I don’t regularly attend Mass, I fondly remember the two years in high school when I prepared for the sacrament of Communion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

"Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith" is far more reflective, and appears to be a deliberate attempt to set himself apart from Trump.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

Vance’s new book, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, is a thoughtful read.

From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2026

This essay is adapted from JD Vance’s new book, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, to be published by Harper on June 16.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

That’s my son on his First Communion day.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt

Both communions suffer pastoral costs as a result of the schism, including broken families and strained marriages.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026

She also photographs baptisms and first communions and is now testing recipes that incorporate cacao, coconut, lime and other regional crops with hopes of opening a café.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 29, 2023

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

From Washington Post ● Apr. 24, 2022

Perhaps no hymn ever written has so gripped the hearts of Christians of all communions as this noble hymn.

From The Story of Our Hymns by Ernest Edwin Ryden

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training