Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A formal denunciation.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A threatening or denunciation; a threat of punishment or vengeance.
  • noun Specifically In the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England, a penitential office directed to be used after the Litany on Ash Wednesday and at other times appointed by the ordinary.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A threat or threatening; a denunciation of punishment or vengeance.
  • noun An office in the liturgy of the Church of England, used on Ash Wednesday, containing a recital of God's anger and judgments against sinners.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun a formal denunciation; especially one threatening divine punishment, read out in church on Ash Wednesday

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a threat of divine punishment or vengeance
  • noun prayers proclaiming God's anger against sinners; read in the Church of England on Ash Wednesday

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English comminacioun, from Latin comminātiō, comminātiōn-, from comminātus, past participle of comminārī, to threaten : com-, intensive pref.; see com– + minārī, to threaten; see menace.]

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Examples

  • It has a kind of commination appropriate to itself alone.

    Hymns of the Eastern Church 1818-1866 1866

  • Resenting all criticism from outside, they scolded together constantly because the place was not perfect; and one distinguished citizen concluded a commination with the sad confession: 'I'd move away — but where could one move to?' —

    Birthplace of a Magazine 2005

  • Resenting all criticism from outside, they scolded together constantly because the place was not perfect; and one distinguished citizen concluded a commination with the sad confession: 'I'd move away — but where could one move to?' —

    Birthplace of a Magazine 2005

  • At last, their dispute came near to an open declaration of hostilities, the incensed episcopalian bestowing on the recusants the whole thunders of the commination, and receiving from them, in return, the denunciations of a Calvinistic excommunication.

    Old Mortality 2004

  • He issued a commination, condemning us all to the deepest pit of hell.

    Tempted by Your Touch JEN HOLLING 2002

  • He issued a commination, condemning us all to the deepest pit of hell.

    Tempted by Your Touch JEN HOLLING 2002

  • He issued a commination, condemning us all to the deepest pit of hell.

    Tempted by Your Touch JEN HOLLING 2002

  • He issued a commination, condemning us all to the deepest pit of hell.

    Tempted by Your Touch JEN HOLLING 2002

  • There is in this commination an appearance of severity beyond the rule established, Exod. xx.

    The Sermons of John Owen 1616-1683 1968

  • The words may be considered either as a prediction depending on God's prescience of what will be; or a commination from his just judgment of what shall be.

    The Sermons of John Owen 1616-1683 1968

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