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.

---

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

---

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

Now this commination, unexpected as it was from a lady of wealth and position, was not altogether unwarranted, and so I went on.

From Dr. Dumany's Wife by Jókai, Mór

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 White Fire by Oxenham, John

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

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.

He's cursed me forever—Put it all down in black and white—a regular commination service.

From The Incomplete Amorist by Nesbit, E. (Edith)