excommunicate

verb

Definition of excommunicatenext
as in to banish
to not allow (someone) to continue being a member of a group and especially the Roman Catholic church He was excommunicated from the church for his radical practices.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of excommunicate Vatican decree targeted bishops and faithful In a decree, the Vatican excommunicated the four new bishops and the two existing SSPX bishops who participated in the ceremony. — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026 In a decree, the Vatican excommunicated the four new bishops and the two bishops who participated in the ceremony. — ABC News, 2 July 2026 The July 2 decree said the two bishops leading the unauthorized ordination, held in Switzerland on July 1, had been excommunicated, along with the four priests who had become new bishops, which was widely expected. — Joshua McElwee, USA Today, 2 July 2026 The Vatican responded by excommunicating Lefebvre and the newly ordained bishops, though those excommunications were lifted in 2009 as part of an effort to restore relations. — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for excommunicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excommunicate
  1. banish
  2. exile
  3. exclude
  4. expel
  5. ostracize
  6. eject
  7. dismiss
Verb
  • Here, Vater and Mary Phillips, Head of Native Plant Habitat Strategy/Certifications at the National Wildlife Federation, share all the details on the right time (and right way) to banish your weeds—and keep them at bay during your next vacation.
    — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 12 July 2026
  • Mary appears to have a form of treatment-resistant schizophrenia, until chemotherapy, following a diagnosis of lymphoma, banishes her psychiatric symptoms.
    — Julia M. Klein, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of banish
Verb
  • Cuba has recently exiled other prominent dissidents, most recently José Daniel Ferrer, who have been forced to abandon the island for the United States.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
  • He has been imprisoned, kept under house arrest and, eventually, exiled.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 17 July 2026
Definition of exile
Verb
  • Since last year, Nvidia has excluded any potential Chinese AI chip revenue from its forecasts.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 15 July 2026
  • Includes standard back-to-school apparel; excludes athletic uniforms and luxury goods.
    — Courtney Johnston, PC Magazine, 14 July 2026
Definition of exclude
Verb
  • He was expelled from Congress while facing criminal charges over stealing from donors and his campaign, fraudulently collecting unemployment benefits and lying to Congress about his wealth.
    — Anthony Izaguirre, Fortune, 16 July 2026
  • The former was a concentration area for 200,000 refugees expelled from 247 localities, villages and towns and the area’s original 80,000 inhabitants; and the latter a frontier zone designed to incarcerate them.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
Definition of expel
Verb
  • Three years later, censured by his Senate colleagues, ostracized by his party, and ignored by the press, McCarthy drank himself to death, a broken man at the age of 48.
    — Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 10 July 2026
  • Carlos and Smith were ostracized for their actions for decades.
    — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 July 2026
Definition of ostracize
Verb
  • Fans of the Spinners were dismayed this week after the team said the town unfairly ejected it from the stadium.
    — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 17 July 2026
  • There was a June 1977 friendly in Buenos Aires where punches were thrown and players were ejected.
    — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 July 2026
Definition of eject
Verb
  • The case had not gone to trial yet, and the charges were dismissed Wednesday as a result of his death, records show.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
  • He was charged with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and DUI causing injury, but the second charge was later dismissed after the substances tested for were not found to be present in his blood, the statement at the time read.
    — Adam England, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
Definition of dismiss

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excommunicate
excommunicated
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Cite this Entry

“Excommunicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excommunicate. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on excommunicate

Nglish: Translation of excommunicate for Spanish Speakers

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