Also 6 -icat. [f. late (Eccl.) L. excommūnicāt- ppl. stem of excommūnicāre lit. ‘to put out of the community,’ f. ex- out + commūnis common, on the analogy of commūnicāre (see COMMUNICATE).]
1. trans. (Eccl.) To cut off from communion; to exclude, by an authoritative sentence, from participation in the sacraments and services of the church, or from religious rites in general.
1526–34. Tindale, John xvi. 2. They shall excommunicat you.
1579. Tomson, Calvin’s Serm. Tim., 118/1. Now to deliuer to Sathan is nothing else, but to excommunicate a man.
1660. R. Coke, Power & Subj., 12. If a Man be excommunicated, he shall have no advantage or relief in any plea by the Common Law.
1757. Burke, Abridgm. Eng. Hist., Wks. 1826, X. 188–9. They [the Druids] were further armed with a power of … excommunicating any obnoxious persons.
1815. Wellington, 19 Jan., in Gurw., Disp., XII. 250. The actors of the Théâtre Français having been excommunicated … the curate of St. Roch refused to receive the body into the Church.
1875. Bryce, Holy Rom. Emp., xiii. (ed. 5), 209. Excommunicated by Gregory IX for not going to Palestine, he [Frederick II] went, and was excommunicated for going.
† b. To forbid (an action) under pain of excommunication. Obs. rare.
1644. Milton, Areop., Wks. (1847), 106/1. Martin the fifth by his bull … was the first that excommunicated the reading of heretical books.
2. transf.
1602. Rowlands, Greenes Ghost, A ij a. To be reiected and excommunicated from the fellowship of all honest men.
1666. J. Smith, Old Age (1752), 46. [In assimilation] those [parts of the chyle] that are like to prove unconformable, are excommunicated to the pores.
1823. Lamb, Elia, Ser. I. iii. (1865), 24. He was excommunicated; put out of the pale of the school.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., II. 94. If he were contumacious he might be excommunicated, or, in other words, be deprived of all civil rights and imprisoned for life.
Hence Excommunicated ppl. a.; also absol., Excommunicating vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1580. Baret, Alv., E 430. Excommunicated.
1648. Jenkyn, Blind Guide, i. 4. The faithfull with a holy scorn neglect his excommunicating of you.
1669. Gale, Crt. Gentiles, I. III. ix. 379. That none eat or drink with such an excommunicated person.
1715. M. Davies, Athen. Brit., I. 252. Neither bound to … Obey an Excommunicated Queen.
1814. Scott, Ld. of Isles, II. xxiv. Or dream of greeting, peace or truce, With excommunicated Bruce!
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., II. V. vi. Plotting Aristocrats, and excommunicating Dissident Priests.
1845. Sarah Austin, trans. Ranke’s Hist. Ref., II. 487. The right of excommunicating … is inherent in every man.
1862. Trench, Mirac., xviii. 303. In case the excommunicated showed no sign of repentance.
