Anathema Definition

ə-năthə-mə
anathemas
noun
anathemas
A formal ecclesiastical ban, curse, or excommunication.
American Heritage
A thing or person accursed or damned.
Webster's New World
A vehement denunciation; a curse.
American Heritage
A thing or person greatly detested.
Webster's New World
One that is cursed or damned.
American Heritage
Antonyms:
adjective
Greatly detested.
Webster's New World
Viewed as accursed or damned.
Webster's New World
Subjected to an ecclesiastical anathema.
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Anathema

Noun

Singular:
anathema
Plural:
anathemas, anathemata

Origin of Anathema

  • From Late Latin anathema (“curse, person cursed, offering”), from Ancient Greek ἀνάθεμα (anathema, “something dedicated, especially dedicated to evil”), from ἀνατίθημι (anatithēmi, “I set upon, offer as a votive gift”), from ἀνά (ana, “upon”) + τίθημι (tithēmi, “I put, place”). The Ancient Greek term was influenced by Hebrew חרם (herem), leading to the sense of "accursed," especially in Ecclesiastical writers.

    From Wiktionary

  • Late Latin doomed offering, accursed thing from Greek from anatithenai anathe- to dedicate ana- ana- tithenai to put dhē- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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