consecration

[ kon-si-krey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of consecrating; dedication to the service and worship of a deity.
2. the act of giving the sacramental character to the Eucharistic elements of bread and wine, especially in the Roman Catholic Church.
3. ordination to a sacred office, especially to the episcopate.

Consecration

/ ˌkɒnsɪˈkreɪʃən /

noun

1. RC Church the part of the Mass after the sermon during which the bread and wine are believed to change into the Body and Blood of Christ

Other Words From

• de·conse·cration noun
• noncon·se·cration noun
• precon·se·cration noun
• recon·se·cration noun
• uncon·se·cration noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of consecration¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English consecracio(u)n, from Anglo-French, from Latin consecrātiōn-, stem of consecrātiō; equivalent to consecrate + -ion

Example Sentences

The War Requiem was commissioned to mark the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral in 1962, after the original 14th Century building was destroyed in a World War Two bombing raid.

From BBC

In January, Indian Americans hosted a Times Square celebration for Modi’s consecration of a huge Hindu temple that had been built over the remains of an ancient mosque that was razed by mobs in 1992.

From Salon

The consecration ceremony was both religious ritual and viral spectacle, with Mr. Modi cast in the role of ultimate victor, striding alone in the frame.

From New York Times

Every time guests veered into theological tangents, Suresh Chavhanke, the channel’s chairman, interjected to steer the show back to its focus: the opposition Congress party, which had to pay for its absence from the consecration, and India’s Muslim minority.

From New York Times

When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the consecration of a vast new Hindu temple atop the ruins of a demolished Muslim mosque in the town of Ayodhya in northern India last week, it showed how far he will go to secure his reelection this year.

From Los Angeles Times