Anathemata

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A formal curse or ban imposed by a religious authority, denouncing specific ideas or individuals
2. Pronouncements that involve excommunication or severe condemnation, often used in ecclesiastical contexts
3. Declarations that express a strong disapproval, typically issued by a church, aimed at heretical beliefs or behaviors

Etymology: In ancient Greek, an "anathema" was an offering set up in a temple, a gift dedicated to a god and put on public display. The word is built from "ana," meaning "up," and "tithenai," meaning "to set" or "to place." The meaning then reversed. What was devoted to the gods could also be devoted to ruin, so the word came to mean something accursed or doomed. Latin borrowed the term in this sense, and English later took it from Latin, where it names a formal religious curse.