excommunicate

[ verb eks-kuh-myoo-ni-keyt; noun adjective eks-kuh-myoo-ni-kit, -keyt ]

verb (used with object)

, ex·com·mu·ni·cat·ed, ex·com·mu·ni·cat·ing.

1. to cut off from communion with a church or exclude from the sacraments of a church by ecclesiastical sentence.
2. to exclude or expel from membership or participation in any group, association, etc.:

   an advertiser excommunicated from a newspaper.

noun

1. an excommunicated person.

adjective

1. cut off from communion with a church; excommunicated.

excommunicate

verb

1. 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

1. having incurred such a sentence

noun

1. an excommunicated person

Derived Forms

• ˌexcomˈmunicative, adjective
• ˌexcomˈmunicator, noun
• ˌexcomˈmunicable, adjective
• ˌexcomˌmuniˈcation, noun

Other Words From

• excom·muni·cator noun
• unex·com·muni·cated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of excommunicate¹

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 -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of excommunicate¹

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