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Anathema
Definitions
- 1 A ban or curse pronounced with religious solemnity by ecclesiastical authority, often accompanied by excommunication; something denounced as accursed. historical
- 2 a formal ecclesiastical curse accompanied by excommunication wordnet
- 3 Something which is vehemently disliked by somebody. broadly
"Even three years ago, the thought of spending two hours, let alone a whole day, without my mobile would have been anathema."
- 4 a detested person wordnet
- 5 An imprecation; a curse; a malediction. literary
"I trembled at his ringing wealth Of manifold anathemas […]"
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- 6 Any person or thing anathematized, or cursed by ecclesiastical authority to unending punishment.
"If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha."
Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin anathema (“curse, person cursed, offering”), itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek ἀνάθεμα (anáthema, “something dedicated, especially dedicated to eternal damnation”), from ἀνατίθημι (anatíthēmi, “I set upon, offer as a votive gift”), from ἀνά (aná, “upon”) + τίθημι (títhēmi, “I put, place”). The Ancient Greek term was influenced by Hebrew חרם (herem), leading to the sense of "accursed," especially in Ecclesiastical writers.
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