anathema
anathema
Definition
anath·ema (ə nat̸h′ə mə)
noun pl. -·mas
- a thing or person accursed or damned
- a thing or person greatly detested
- a solemn ecclesiastical condemnation of a teaching judged to be gravely opposed to accepted church doctrine, or of the originators or supporters of such a teaching
- the excommunication often accompanying or following this condemnation
Etymology: LL(Ec) < Gr, thing devoted to evil; previously, anything devoted < anatithenai, to dedicate < ana-, up + tithenai, to place: see do
adjective
- greatly detested
- viewed as accursed or damned
- subjected to an ecclesiastical anathema
anathema
Usage Examples
Converse of object
- seem: The amount of money spent at general elections seems a complete anathema to most people.
- become: Repeat offenders will be designated as ' French ' and shall thus become anathema.
- hurl: There were typesetters there who could hurl anathemas at bad copy which would have frightened a Bengal tiger.
- remain: This remains anathema to Western governments - which spent most of the 1980s demolishing commodity agreements - and to politically powerful transnational companies.
- find: NC: A lot of people will find this anathema.
Adjective modifier
- complete: The idea of copying anything is a complete anathema to him.
- total: Should those for whom observation is total anathema have the ultimate choice to opt out of being observed?
Noun used with modifier
- course: For the Advent purists this is of course anathema.
Browse dictionary entries near anathema
- anatase
- anat
- anastrophe
- anastomosis
- anastomose
- anastigmatic
- anastigmat
- Anastasia
- anasarca
- anarthria
- anathematize
- Anatolia
- Anatolian
- anatomical
- anatomist
- anatomize
- anatomy
- anatropous
- anatto
- Anaxagoras
