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Webster 1913 Edition

Anathema

A-nath′e-ma

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Anathemas
.
[L.
anathĕma
, fr. Gr. [GREEK] anything devoted, esp. to evil, a curse; also L.
anathēma
, fr. Gr. [GREEK] a votive offering; all fr. [GREEK] to set up as a votive gift, dedicate; [GREEK] up + [GREEK] to set. See
Thesis
.]
1.
A ban or curse pronounced with religious solemnity by ecclesiastical authority, and accompanied by excommunication. Hence: Denunciation of anything as accursed.
[They] denounce
anathemas
against unbelievers.
Priestley.
2.
An imprecation; a curse; a malediction.
Finally she fled to London followed by the
anathemas
of both [families].
Thackeray.
3.
Any person or thing anathematized, or cursed by ecclesiastical authority.
The Jewish nation were an
anathema
destined to destruction. St. Paul . . . says he could wish, to save them from it, to become an
anathema
, and be destroyed himself.
Locke.
Anathema Maranatha
(see
1 Cor. xvi. 22
)
,
an expression commonly considered as a highly intensified form of anathema. Maran atha is now considered as a separate sentence, meaning, “Our Lord cometh.”

Webster 1828 Edition

Anathema

ANATH'EMA

,
Noun.
[Gr. to place behind, backward or at a distance, to separate.]
1.
Excommunication with curses. Hence, a curse or denunciation by ecclesiastical authority, accompanying excommunication. This species of excommunication was practiced in the ancient churches, against notorious offenders; all churches were warned not to receive them; all magistrates and private persons were admonished not to harbor or maintain them, and priests were enjoined not to converse with them, or attend their funeral.
There are two kinds of anathemas, judiciary and abjuratory. The former is pronounced by a council, pope or bishop; the latter is the act of a convert who anathematizes the heresy which he abjures.
2.
In heathen mythology, an offering, or present made to some deity and hung up in a temple. Whenever a person quitted his employment, he set apart, or dedicated his tools to his patron-deity. Persons who had escaped danger remarkably, or been otherwise very fortunate, testified their gratitude by some offering to their deity.

Definition 2024

anathema

anathema

English

Noun

anathema ‎(plural anathemas or anathemata)

  1. A ban or curse pronounced with religious solemnity by ecclesiastical authority, often accompanied by excommunication; something denounced as accursed.
  2. By extension, something which is vehemently disliked by somebody.
    • 2015 January 18, Monty Munford, “What’s the point of carrying a mobile phone nowadays?”, in The Daily Telegraph:
      Even three years ago, the thought of spending two hours, let alone a whole day, without my mobile would have been anathema.
  3. An imprecation; a curse; a malediction.
    • 2002, Joseph O'Conner, Star of the Sea, Vintage 2003, p. 30:
      That was a curse from which no flight was possible: the anathema of a man who had once known holiness.
  4. Any person or thing anathematized, or cursed by ecclesiastical authority.
    • John Locke
      The Jewish nation were an anathema destined to destruction.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

References

New Advent: The Catholic on-line encyclopedia.

Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀνάθεμα ‎(anáthema, “something dedicated, especially dedicated to evil”).

Pronunciation

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /aˈna.tʰe.ma/, [aˈna.tʰɛ.ma]
  • (Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /aˈna.te.ma/, [aˈnaː.te.ma]

Noun

anathema n ‎(genitive anathematis); third declension

  1. offering (especially the life of a person)
  2. curse
  3. excommunication

Inflection

Third declension neuter.

Case Singular Plural
nominative anathema anathemata
genitive anathematis anathematum
dative anathematī anathematibus
accusative anathema anathemata
ablative anathemate anathematibus
vocative anathema anathemata

References

Etymology

From Late Latin anathema ‎(“curse, person cursed, offering”), from Ancient Greek ἀνάθεμα ‎(anáthema, “something dedicated, especially dedicated to evil”), 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.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /əˈnæθəmə/
  • Hyphenation: a‧na‧the‧ma

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