Excommunicate

C1 16+
Pronunciation Definitions Examples Grammatical Forms Origin and Evolution

Pronunciation: /ɛksˈkɒmjunɪˌkeɪt/

Definitions of excommunicate

verb to officially exclude someone from participation in the sacraments and services of the Christian Church

Example Sentences

A1 The church leader decided to excommunicate the member for breaking the rules.

A2 In some religions, individuals can be excommunicated for their actions.

B1 The decision to excommunicate someone from the community was not taken lightly.

B2 The Pope excommunicated the controversial priest for his radical views.

C1 Historically, the Catholic Church excommunicated individuals who went against its teachings.

C2 The act of excommunication was used as a tool to maintain order and discipline within the religious community.

Examples of excommunicate in a Sentence

formal The church decided to excommunicate the member for his repeated violations of the church's teachings.

informal The church kicked him out and excommunicated him for his behavior.

slang They totally ghosted him and excommunicated him from their group.

figurative In a way, she felt excommunicated from her friend group after the falling out.

Grammatical Forms of excommunicate

past tense

excommunicated

plural

excommunicates

comparative

more excommunicated

superlative

most excommunicated

present tense

excommunicates

future tense

will excommunicate

perfect tense

has excommunicated

continuous tense

is excommunicating

singular

excommunicate

positive degree

excommunicate

infinitive

excommunicate

gerund

excommunicating

participle

excommunicating

Origin and Evolution of excommunicate

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Latin
Story behind the word: The word 'excommunicate' originated from the Latin word 'excommunicare', which means 'put out of communion'.
Evolution of the word: Originally used in religious contexts to refer to the expulsion of a person from the Christian church, the word 'excommunicate' has evolved to also be used in a more general sense to mean ostracize or exclude someone from a group or organization.