the ecclesiastical sentence by which a person is excommunicated.
Origin
1425-75;late Middle English < Late Latinexcommūnicātiōn- (stem of excommūnicātiō). See excommunicate, -ion
Examples from the web for excommunication
Anyone caught violating a ban risks excommunication.
Bishops threatened supporters of the measure with excommunication.
To act against their admonitions is to risk excommunication and possibly damnation.
The deliberating and balloting are conducted in secrecy enforced by threat of excommunication.
They were threatened with excommunication and condemned as public sinners.
He even would go as far as to recommend excommunication if the case were to come before him.
Either the excommunication means something or nothing.
Word Origin and History for excommunication
n.
mid-15c., from Late Latin excommunicationem (nominative excommunicatio), from past participle stem of excommunicare "put out of the community," in Church Latin "to expel from communion," from ex- "out" (see ex-) + communicare, from communis "common" (see common).