anathema

Meaning

1. (historical) A ban or curse pronounced with religious solemnity by ecclesiastical authority, often accompanied by excommunication; something denounced as accursed.
2. (broadly) Something which is vehemently disliked by somebody.
3. (literary) An imprecation; a curse; a malediction.
4. Any person or thing anathematized, or cursed by ecclesiastical authority to unending punishment.

Synonyms

excommunication

curse

ban

imprecation

bete noire

detested

damn

aphorism

hated

Translations

anathème

anatema

anátema

anatema

Kirchenbann

banvloek

scomunica

ανάθεμα

aforoz

Anathema

Bann

anathema

Bannfluch

anathema

ban

Pronounced as (IPA)

/əˈnæθəmə/

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin anathema (“curse, person cursed, offering”), itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek ἀνάθεμα (anáthema, “something dedicated, especially dedicated to eternal damnation”), from ἀνατίθημι (anatíthēmi, “I set upon, offer as a votive gift”), from ἀνά (aná, “upon”) + τίθημι (títhēmi, “I put, place”). The Ancient Greek term was influenced by Hebrew חרם (herem), leading to the sense of "accursed," especially in Ecclesiastical writers.