commination
(kɒmɪˈneɪʃən)
[a. F. commination, ad. L. comminātiōn-em, n. of action f. commināri to threaten with, menace, f. com- intensive + mināri to threaten: see minatory.]
1. Denunciation of punishment or vengeance, esp. threatening of Divine punishment or vengeance.
| 1460 J. Capgrave Chron. 122 Than mad Swayn a grete comminacion to the town of Seynt Edmund, that he schuld distroye it. 1533 More Apol. xxxiii. Wks. 897/2 The terrible comminacion and threate..in the Apocalyps vnto the byshoppe of Ephesy. 1640 Gent Knave in Gr. ii. i, Why your Comminations and undecent language point thus at me. 1651 Baxter Inf. Bapt., The terrible Commination of our Saviour against Scandalizers. 1863 Goulburn Communion I. 77 Breathing commination rather than Love. |
b. Often loosely used for ‘denunciation, anathematizing’ (with reference to sense 2).
| 1813 T. Jefferson Writ. (1830) IV. 194 The priesthood..repeating their comminations against me. 1824–9 Landor Imag. Conv. (1846) I. 350 Pouring out his choler and comminations. 1865 Sat. Rev. 11 Feb. 156 Their orthodox commination of all taxation. |
2. Liturgy. A recital of Divine threatenings against sinners; in the Anglican Liturgy, forming part of an office appointed to be read after the Litany on Ash-Wednesday and at other times. Also applied to the whole office.
| 1552 Prayer-bk., A Commination against Sinners, with certain Prayers to be used divers times in the year. 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lxxii. §14 That memorable commination set down in the book of common prayer. 1710 Wheatley Bk. Com. Prayer xiv. Introd. (T.), In the last review of our Liturgy, a clause was added for the sake of explaining the word commination..So that the whole title..now runs thus: A commination, or denouncing of God's anger and judgements against sinners, with certain prayers. |
| fig. 1865 Mrs. J. H. Riddell Geo. Geith II. xii. 143 Mentally he read a whole Commination over the heads of the Firm. |
3. attrib., as
commination service, the office containing the Commination (see 2); also
transf.| c 1805 Coleridge Three Graves iii. xvii, For on that day [Ash-Wednesday] you know we read The Commination prayer. 1859 Helps Friends in C. Ser. ii. II. iv. 88 He read Commination Services over these unwelcome creatures. |