excommunicate
[ verb eks-kuh-myoo-ni-keyt; noun, adjective eks-kuh-myoo-ni-kit, -keyt ]
/ verb ˌɛks kəˈmyu nɪˌkeɪt; noun, adjective ˌɛks kəˈmyu nɪ kɪt, -ˌkeɪt /
verb (used with object), ex·com·mu·ni·cat·ed, ex·com·mu·ni·cat·ing.
to cut off from communion with a church or exclude from the sacraments of a church by ecclesiastical sentence.
to exclude or expel from membership or participation in any group, association, etc.: an advertiser excommunicated from a newspaper.
noun
an excommunicated person.
adjective
cut off from communion with a church; excommunicated.
Nearby words
Origin of excommunicate
1375–1425; late Middle English excommunicaten (v.) < Late Latin excommūnicātus literally, put out of the community (past participle of excommūnicāre), equivalent to ex- ex-1 + commūn(is) common, public + -ic- (by analogy with commūnicāre to communicate) + -ātus -ate1
Related forms
ex·com·mu·ni·ca·tor, nounun·ex·com·mu·ni·cat·ed, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for excommunicate
British Dictionary definitions for excommunicate
excommunicate
/ RC Church /
verb (ˌɛkskəˈmjuːnɪˌkeɪt)
(tr) to sentence (a member of the Church) to exclusion from the communion of believers and from the privileges and public prayers of the Church
adjective (ˌɛkskəˈmjuːnɪkɪt, -ˌkeɪt)
having incurred such a sentence
noun (ˌɛkskəˈmjuːnɪkɪt, -ˌkeɪt)
an excommunicated person
Derived Forms
excommunicable, adjectiveexcommunication, nounexcommunicative or excommunicatory, adjectiveexcommunicator, nounWord Origin for excommunicate
C15: from Late Latin excommūnicāre, literally: to exclude from the community, from Latin commūnis common
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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