communion

[ kuh-myoon-yuhn ]

noun

1. Often Communion. Also called Holy Communion. Christianity.
   1. the celebration of the Eucharist .
   2. the act of receiving the Eucharistic elements.
   3. the elements of the Eucharist; the consecrated bread and wine.
   4. the antiphon sung at a Eucharistic service.
2. a group of persons having a common religious faith; a religious denomination:

   The Church of Pakistan is part of the Anglican communion.

   The organization promotes Islamic solidarity and fosters a sense of belonging to the Islamic communion worldwide.

3. a group of people sharing a profession, hobby, interest, etc.:

   Just as there are rascals in the communion of bankers, editors, doctors, or barbers, so there are rascals among fishermen.

4. interchange or sharing of thoughts or emotions; intimate communication:

   Each day I spend some time walking the trails in communion with nature.

   The two enjoyed a wordless communion in the comfort of each other’s company.

5. association; fellowship:

   Light has no communion with darkness.

6. the act of sharing something or holding it in common, or the state of something so held:

   Fundamental to Scots law was the “communion of goods,” the joint ownership of property by spouses.

communion

¹

/ kəˈmjuːnjən /

noun

1. an exchange of thoughts, emotions, etc
2. possession or sharing in common; participation
3. foll by with strong emotional or spiritual feelings (for)

   communion with nature

4. a religious group or denomination having a common body of beliefs, doctrines, and practices
5. the spiritual union held by Christians to exist between individual Christians and Christ, their Church, or their fellow Christians

Communion

²

/ kəˈmjuːnjən /

noun

1. the act of participating in the Eucharist
2. the celebration of the Eucharist, esp the part of the service during which the consecrated elements are received
3. 1. the consecrated elements of the Eucharist
   2. ( as modifier )

      Communion cup

Communion

1. A sacrament of Christianity . In a reenactment of the Last Supper , the words of Jesus — “This is my body” and “This is my blood” — are spoken over bread and wine (the elements of Communion), which are then shared by the worshipers. Communion, also known as the Eucharist , commemorates the death of Jesus. ( See transubstantiation .)

Derived Forms

• comˈmunional, adjective
• comˈmunionally, adverb

Other Words From

• com·mun·ion·a·ble adjective
• com·mun·ion·al adjective
• self-com·mun·ion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of communion¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin commūniōn-, stem of commūniō “mutual participation, sharing,” from commūn(is) common + -iō -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of communion¹

C14: from Latin commūniō general participation, from commūnis common

Example Sentences

Yet all hope is not lost in Hamaguchi’s gem, even if profound connection and communion are sometimes as fleeting as a pair of cigarettes burning brightly in the night out of a moving car’s sunroof.

From The Daily Beast

I think fat is delicious, fats are one of the communion elements.

From Time

All of them were meant to help people feel a sense of communion with something greater than themselves.

From Nautilus

He gets drunk on communion wine and stumbles through the Eucharist.

From Time

When I was a kid, watching the bowl of sujeonggwa disappear into individual cups felt as ceremonious as bowing before our ancestors and elders, intentioned as taking communion in church.

From Eater

Again, that pre-communion questionnaire sin litmus test might prove handy.

From The Daily Beast

In fact, the communion conundrum highlights the first visible fissure in the church of Francis.

From The Daily Beast

For close to two thousand years, Christians have been taking Holy Communion.

From The Daily Beast

But to these people, it's a religious rite ranked right up there with First Communion—or Mardi Gras.

From The Daily Beast

The primary motivation is communion with your fellow human beings.

From The Daily Beast

This hurly-burly,” said he, drawing her into a quiet eddy of the stream, “is no place for the communion of two twin souls.

From Project Gutenberg

The central ceremony of the confarreatio was an act partly of sacrifice, partly, one might almost say, of communion.

From Project Gutenberg

Some are constantly being added, others are removed from her communion on earth, but her characteristic absolute identity remains.

From Project Gutenberg

The privileges enjoyed by the children of those in communion with the Church, manifest them to be under obligation.

From Project Gutenberg

All who are not in the communion of the true Church, are exposed to the wrath threatened against those who are far from God.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• intimacy
• rapport
• togetherness