commination

[ kom-uh-ney-shuhn ]

noun

1. a threat of punishment or vengeance.
2. a denunciation.
3. (in the Church of England) a penitential office read on Ash Wednesday in which God's anger and judgments are proclaimed against sinners.

commination

/ -trɪ; ˈkɒmɪnətərɪ; ˌkɒmɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of threatening punishment or vengeance
2. Church of England a recital of prayers, including a list of God's judgments against sinners, in the office for Ash Wednesday

Derived Forms

• comminatory, adjective

Other Words From

• commi·nator noun
• com·min·a·to·ry [k, uh, -, min, -, uh, -tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, kom, -, uh, -n, uh, -], commi·native adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of commination¹

1400–50; late Middle English (< Anglo-French ) < Latin comminātiōn- (stem of comminātīo ), equivalent to commināt ( us ), past participle of comminārī to threaten ( com- com- + minārī to threaten) + -iōn- -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of commination¹

C15: from Latin comminātiō, from comminārī to menace, from com- (intensive) + minārī to threaten

Example Sentences

Then follows a commination at the end, which is not unusual in such cases.

From Project Gutenberg

They toiled upward with stubborn determination, and wasted breath in voluble commination of the length of the way, when they could have employed it more usefully in compassing it.

From Project Gutenberg

Nowhere, however, in this Epistle is there any trace of an established ministry; on the contrary, at the close, the 'spiritual' among them are instructed to administer the office of commination.

From Project Gutenberg

His method is to ask at once more than human nature can be expected to give, and then pour out a whole commination service of anathemas when his demands are not complied with.

From Project Gutenberg

Then Oliver had a try; but in a minute he, too, was reciting the commination service.

From Project Gutenberg