commination

American  

[kom-uh-ney-shuhn] / ˌkɒm əˈneɪ ʃən /

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.

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commination British  

/ -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

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Other Word Forms

• comminative adjective
• comminator noun
• comminatory adjective

Etymology

Origin of commination

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

Example Sentences

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

From The Log of a Sea-Waif Being Recollections of the First Four Years of My Sea Life by Bullen, Frank T.

Annabel Cleeve now contributed her little damnatory verse to the commination service.

From The Claw by Stockley, Cynthia

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 Great Britain's Sea Policy A Reply to an American Critic reprinted from 'The Atlantic Monthly' by Murray, Gilbert

MALEDICTON, curse, imprecation, denunciation, execration, anathema, ban, proscription, excommunication, commination, fulmination.

From Public Speaking by Stratton, Clarence

Until, at last, after one or two heavy falls of his own occasioning, Tom gave it up, spluttered a final commination on his opponent, and turned to go home.

From A Maid of the Silver Sea by Oxenham, John