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excommunicate

Syllabification: (ex·com·mu·ni·cate)
Translate excommunicate | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of excommunicate

verb


[with object]
  • officially exclude (someone) from participation in the sacraments and services of the Christian Church.

adjective


  • excommunicated:all violators were to be pronounced excommunicate

noun


  • an excommunicated person.

Derivatives

excommunication


noun

excommunicative

Pronunciation: /-ˌkātiv/

adjective

excommunicator

Pronunciation: /-ˌkātər/

noun

excommunicatory

Pronunciation: /-kəˌtôrē/

adjective

Origin:

late Middle English: from ecclesiastical Latin excommunicat- 'excluded from communication with the faithful', from the verb excommunicare, from ex- 'out' + Latin communis 'common to all', on the pattern of Latin communicare (see communicate)

excommunicate in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of excommunicate in the British & World English dictionary
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