Excommunicate means to officiallyin a formal or authorized way, not casually excludekeep out; not allow to be part of something someone from a church or religious community. It can also mean to formally expel a person from a group or membershipthe state of being part of a group or organization.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-03. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˌɛkskəˈmjunɪˌkeɪt/
Easy pronunciation: eks-kuh-MYOO-ni-kayt (approximate spelling).
Stress: Primary stress is on MYOO; secondary stress is on the first syllable.
Religious sense: to officially remove someone from a church or religious community.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-03. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Excommunicate Meaning
to officially remove someone from a church or religious group
Part of speech: verb
Definition: exclude from a church or a religious community
Example: The priest was excommunicated after he broke church rules.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- unchurch — A close match for the religious sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-03. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Excommunicate
Meaning 2
to formally kick someone out of a group
Part of speech: verb
Definition: oust or exclude from a group or membership by decree
Example: The club voted to excommunicate the member after repeated violations.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-11-03. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Excommunicate Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- unchurch
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-03. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- People sometimes confuse excommunicate with curse, but they are not the same.
- It does not usually mean simply to dislike, criticize, or ban someone informally.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-03. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does excommunicate mean?
Excommunicate means to officially exclude someone from a church or religious community. It can also be used more broadly for formally expelling someone from a group.
Is excommunicate the same as curse?
No. Curse is not the same as excommunicate. Excommunicate means to formally expel someone, usually from a church or religious body.
What is a simple synonym for excommunicate?
For the religious sense, a close synonym is unchurch.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-03. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
