communion

noun com·mu·nion \ kə-ˈmyü-nyən \

|Updated on: 7 Jun 2018

Definition of communion

1 : an act or instance of sharing

2 a capitalized : a Christian sacrament in which consecrated bread and wine are consumed as memorials of Christ's death or as symbols for the realization of a spiritual union between Christ and communicant or as the body and blood of Christ

b : the act of receiving Communion

c capitalized : the part of a Communion service in which the sacrament is received

3 : intimate fellowship or rapport : communication

sat alone on the mountain, in communion with the wilderness

4 : a body of Christians having a common faith and discipline

the Anglican communion

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Examples of communion in a Sentence

She went to the front of the church for Communion.
gradually established a feeling of communion with her fellow physicians

Recent Examples of communion from the Web

Lori’s visit coincided with the church’s observance of the Feast of Corpus Christi, a celebration of the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation in communion.

— sarah meehan, Howard County Times, "Archbishop Lori, Ellicott City parishioners pray for Hermond, other flooding victims at Mass," 2 June 2018
Tim and Brian inhaled, their own communion of frankincense and nicotine, as the fog swirled down from Buena Vista Park.

— kevin fisher-paulson, San Francisco Chronicle, "Tim has left us, but the fight continues," 14 May 2018
The argument had to do with a child's first communion party.

— john benson, cleveland.com, "Employee duped into buying $2,000 in gift cards: Broadview Heights Police Blotter," 10 May 2018
One needn’t be a cardinal to wear a scarlet stunner from Valentino couture, or be receiving communion to fall for a frilly white frock.

— Vogue, "Sunday Best: How Liturgical Silhouettes and Symbolism Have Been Interpreted by Fashion," 3 May 2018
Roman misunderstanding of Christian communion where Christ said to take and eat His body and drink His blood.

— hollie mckay, Fox News, "Ancient Christian ruins discovered under former ISIS-held territory," 1 May 2018
Indeed if the formal rules strictly applied, and communion was never allowed except after a full confession, virtually no Catholic in America would be participating in the Eucharist at all.

— andrew sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "Pope Francis Isn’t Catholicism’s Trump," 20 Apr. 2018
Winemakers in Chile’s Bio Bio Valley are wild fermenting Pais, a communion wine grape planted by Jesuit missionaries over 200 years ago.

— adam erace, Fortune, "Why the Next Bottle You Pour Should Be a Natural Wine," 28 Mar. 2018
Her weeklong residency, which culminates on February 15, pays tribute to St. Valentine and the holiday's communion of sorts: the classic conversation edible hearts made by the century-old confectioner, NECCO.

— laura regensdorf, Vogue, "This New York Tattoo Artist Is Inking a Love Poem Onto 30 Strangers for Valentine's Day," 8 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'communion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of communion

Middle English, from Latin communion-, communio mutual participation, from communis — see ¹common

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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communion Synonyms

COMMUNION Defined for English Language Learners

communion

noun

Definition of communion for English Language Learners

Communion : a Christian ceremony in which bread is eaten and wine is drunk as a way of showing devotion to Jesus Christ
: a close relationship with someone or something
: a group of Christians who have the same beliefs