excommunication

noun

ex·​com·​mu·​ni·​ca·​tion ˌek-skə-ˌmyü-nə-ˈkā-shən 

1

: an ecclesiastical censure depriving a person of the rights of church membership

2

: exclusion from fellowship in a group or community

excommunicative

ˌek-skə-ˈmyü-nə-ˌkā-tiv 

-ni-kə-tiv

adjective

Examples of excommunication in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At the time, one of the pope’s chief sources of power was excommunication, which essentially kicked someone out of the church and, by extension, heaven. —Lanta Davis and Vince Reighard, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Mar. 2024

His writing revealed Radziwill and Kennedy Onassis' most salacious secrets, which resulted in Capote's excommunication from their social circle. —Liz McNeil, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024

The play was decried as heresy by the French Roman Catholic Church, which banned it and threatened those who watched or performed it with excommunication. —David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2024

Their religion or excommunication from it is part of their story, their history and their identity. —Alex Zaragoza, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2024

The 18-month-long affair ended in Garcia’s excommunication from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Garcia said. —Suzanne Ciechalski, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2023

Such a label was tantamount to excommunication, an extreme concern as most of the accusers’ relatives are also Scientologists, prosecutors said. —James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2023

But amid all the arcana and arms deals, the enemies and excommunications, the series had a few key sustaining constants. —Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2023

Those who asked questions loud enough to be heard risked excommunication on charges of heresy. —Ted Ladd, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1