excommunication

noun

ex·​com·​mu·​ni·​ca·​tion ˌek-skə-ˌmyü-nə-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce excommunication (audio)
1
: an ecclesiastical censure depriving a person of the rights of church membership
2
: exclusion from fellowship in a group or community
excommunicative adjective

Examples of excommunication in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Thus, for the people of the Andes to be without coca is a form of social and spiritual death, an excommunication from existence itself. Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025 Catholics who read titles on the Index of Forbidden Books risked excommunication. Joëlle Rollo-Koster, The Conversation, 28 Mar. 2025 Thus, for the people of the Andes to be without coca is a form of social and spiritual death, an excommunication from existence itself. Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025 Catholics who read titles on the Index of Forbidden Books risked excommunication. Joëlle Rollo-Koster, The Conversation, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for excommunication

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of excommunication was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Excommunication.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excommunication. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!