English → Latin
“excommunication” in Latin
anathemaoffering (especially the life of a person); curse; excommunicationdēvōtiōThe act of devoting or consecrating.; Fealty, allegiance, devotedness, deference.; Piety, devotion, zeal.excommūnicātiōexcommunication (expulsion from the Christian communion)excommūnicōto excommunicate
The English word excommunication itself goes back to Latin commūnicō, through excommūnicātiō.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
excommunication
sacrificiorum interdictio; anathema, -atis, neuter: perhaps devotio (Nep., Alc., 4 = solemn curse) (☞ the most absurd is Bembo’s, aqua et igni interdictio): *segregatio ab usu sacrorum et a consuetudine Christianorum; but excommunicatio (Augustin), as technical term. To put under excommunication, sacrificiis interdicere alicui (Caes., B.G., 6, 13, who thus explains this expression, quibus ita interdictum, ii numero impiorum ac sceleratorum habentur; iis omnes decedunt, aditum eorum sermonemque defugiunt, ne quid ex contagione incommodi accipiant; neque iis petentibus jus redditur, neque honos ullus communicatur); aliquem anathematizare, excommunicare (Eccl.): devovere aliquem (to pronounce a curse upon him, opposed to resacrare aliquem, to revoke the curse).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for excommunication?
- The usual Latin words for “excommunication” are anathema, dēvōtiō, excommūnicātiō; also excommūnicō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.