Anathema Definition

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