anathema

noun

anath·​e·​ma ə-ˈna-thə-mə How to pronounce anathema (audio)
1
a
: someone or something intensely disliked or loathed
usually used as a predicate nominative
… this notion was anathema to most of his countrymen.Stephen Jay Gould
b
: one that is cursed by ecclesiastical authority
2
a
: a ban or curse solemnly pronounced by ecclesiastical authority and accompanied by excommunication
b
: the denunciation of something as accursed
c
: a vigorous denunciation : curse

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Word History of Anathema

The Greek root of anathema originally meant simply “a thing devoted” or “an offering,” and in the Old Testament it could refer to either revered objects or objects representing destruction brought about in the name of the Lord, such as the weapons of an enemy. Since the enemy’s objects therefore became symbols of what was reviled or unholy, the neutral meaning of “a thing devoted” became “a thing devoted to evil” or “curse.”

In Latin, it could refer to both an excommunication and the person who has been excommunicated.

In the early Church, anathema was used interchangeably with excommunication and to refer to unrepentant heretics. It then came to mean the severest form of excommunication in official church writings. When the authority of Rome was split in the Great Schism between Eastern and Western churches in 1054, an anathema was issued by Rome against the Eastern Patriarch who then issued another one against the cardinal who delivered it.

Examples of anathema in a Sentence

Maugham was not only prolific but also a best-seller, though snobs dismissed his work as middlebrow (a category that few people worry about in our day but that once was anathema). Edmund White, New York Review of Books, 12 Feb. 2009
While everything pointed to an immense flood, Bretz knew such a notion would be anathema to his fellow geologists. In part that was because the quantity of water needed for such a flood would exceed the flow of all the world's modern rivers combined. Richard Lovett, New Scientist, 21-27 Apr. 2007
Big Jeff was devoted to Purcell. He haunted his room and patiently endured his abuse just to sit in the corner and watch him shave or do push-ups or dress for dinner, and listen to him pronounce his opinions and anathemas. Tobias Wolff, Old School, 2003
For all the artistic wonders it has preserved, the Holy Mountain is not a museum, and the idea of playing host to sightseers is anathema to the monks. Male visitors of all faiths are welcome, but they come as pilgrims, not tourists, and only 110 "residence permits" are issued each day by patristic officials in Ouranoupolis. Nicholas Basbanes, Smithsonian, August 1999
a politician who is anathema to conservatives ideas that are an anathema to me
Recent Examples on the Web Slashing tech work forces would have been anathema in Silicon Valley just a few years ago. Mike Isaac, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2024 Oil and tobacco companies are viewed as so anathema to California Democrats’ agenda that party leaders have in some years prohibited donations from them. Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2023 Throughout his time in power, Thaksin was hugely popular with Thailand’s rural and working class but his policies were anathema to the rich elites and conservatives who accused him of being a dangerous and corrupt populist. Kocha Olarn, CNN, 17 Feb. 2024 His approach to America at home was out of favor with the voters until nearly a decade after his death, and as Frum acknowledges, Wilson’s approach to foreign affairs was anathema for another decade after that. Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 6 Feb. 2024 Democratic lawmakers have called for statewide tenant protections to be part of any housing package; such protections are anathema to the real estate lobby, which has been a stalwart supporter of the governor. Erin Nolan, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2024 Anything that contradicts the Book of Genesis is anathema to them. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023 For a candidate who started his political career as anathema to the GOP establishment, Trump's dominance in endorsements is a remarkable feat. Nathaniel Rakich, ABC News, 17 Jan. 2024 But in recent years both China and Russia have made inroads into the region, striking alliances with players anathema to U.S. interests, including Iran and Syria. Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'anathema.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin anathemat-, anathema, from Greek, thing devoted to evil, curse, from anatithenai to set up, dedicate, from ana- + tithenai to place, set — more at do

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of anathema was in 1582

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Cite this Entry

“Anathema.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anathema. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

anathema

noun
anath·​e·​ma ə-ˈnath-ə-mə How to pronounce anathema (audio)
1
a
: a ban or curse declared by church authority and accompanied by excommunication
2
: a person or thing that is cursed or strongly disliked
taxation without representation was anathema to the colonists

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