[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. 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. 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.
