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.

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

OTHER WORDS FROM excommunicate

ex·com·mu·ni·ca·tor, noun un·ex·com·mu·ni·cat·ed, adjective

Example sentences 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 of excommunicate

excommunicable, adjective excommunication, noun excommunicative or excommunicatory, adjective excommunicator, noun

Word Origin for excommunicate

C15: from Late Latin excommūnicāre, literally: to exclude from the community, from Latin commūnis common