excommunicate
verb (used with object)
to cut off from communion with a church or exclude from the sacraments of a church by ecclesiastical sentence.
excommunicating
-
present participleof excommunicate.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
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.
“I don’t believe in excommunicating anything, but I’m, to a fault, aggressively not on-screen. I carry a phone, but I’m legendary for being the hardest person to get a hold of.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
The Vatican declared a formal schism with the Society of St. Pius X, excommunicating its bishops and priests for consecrating four bishops without papal consent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
The Vatican has been considering developing a doctrine about excommunicating Catholic mobsters.
From Seattle Times ● May 9, 2021
Another commenter added, “Why are they excommunicating you over a 1-year-olds attendance? That baby will never remember your wedding day and likely would never care that he wasn’t invited.”
From Fox News ● May 15, 2019
They made it a crime for the physician to have composed his ointment on the Sabbath, and formed the project of excommunicating whoever should countenance him.
From Ecce Homo! A Critical Inquiry into the History of Jesus of Nazareth: Being a Rational Analysis of the Gospels by Paul Henry Thiry Baron d' Holbach
