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
Examples of excommunication in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Long at odds with the Vatican, the order delivered by the pope meant excommunication for the newly consecrated, any SSPX priest and any person who formally adheres to the society.
—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
6 July 2026
The Vatican said dialogue was offered to the group ahead of the schism and that the step of ordaining bishops without church approval was considered so grave that excommunication was automatic.
—
Reuters,
NBC news,
5 July 2026
In 2009, after years of strained relations between SSPX and the Holy See, Pope Benedict XVI remitted the 1988 excommunications as a step toward healing the rift.
—
Noah Labelle,
NPR,
2 July 2026
In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI rescinded the excommunications of the surviving bishops as a gesture towards reconciliation.
—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for excommunication
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Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
6 July 2026
The Vatican said dialogue was offered to the group ahead of the schism and that the step of ordaining bishops without church approval was considered so grave that excommunication was automatic.
—
Reuters,
NBC news,
5 July 2026
In 2009, after years of strained relations between SSPX and the Holy See, Pope Benedict XVI remitted the 1988 excommunications as a step toward healing the rift.
—
Noah Labelle,
NPR,
2 July 2026
In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI rescinded the excommunications of the surviving bishops as a gesture towards reconciliation.
—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for excommunication
Cite this Entry
“Excommunication.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excommunication. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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