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excommunicate

[verb eks-kuh-myoo-ni-keyt; noun, adjective eks-kuh-myoo-ni-kit, -keyt]
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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.

RELATED WORDS

oust, curse, eject, expel, repudiate, proscribe, dismiss, denounce, remove, ban, exclude, anathematize, unchurch

Nearby words

  1. exclusivism,
  2. exclusivity,
  3. exclusory,
  4. excogitate,
  5. excommunicable,
  6. excommunication,
  7. excommunicative,
  8. excommunicatory,
  9. excoriate,
  10. excoriation

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 formsex·com·mu·ni·ca·tor, nounun·ex·com·mu·ni·cat·ed, adjective
Dictionary.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

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 Formsexcommunicable, adjectiveexcommunication, nounexcommunicative or excommunicatory, adjectiveexcommunicator, noun

Word 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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for excommunicate

excommunicate

v.

early 15c., from Late Latin excommunicatus, past participle of excommunicare (see excommunication). Related: Excommunicated; excommunicating.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper