Anathematic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Deserving to be cursed or strongly condemned as evil or abhorrent; functioning as a formal curse or condemnation
2. Subject to anathema or excommunication; of or pertaining to something formally denounced as accursed
3. Meriting solemn condemnation or rejection; constituting or expressing anathema against someone or something

Etymology: In ancient Greek, an "anathema" was something set up and dedicated to a god, such as a votive offering hung in a temple. The Greek word comes from "ana," meaning "up," and "tithenai," meaning "to place." Its sense darkened over time. When Greek translators of the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint, used it for things set apart for destruction, the offering became an object of divine condemnation. Church usage then narrowed it to a formal curse, and to the excommunication of a person. "Anathematic" is simply that noun plus the English adjectival suffix "-ic," from Greek "-ikos," so it means relating to a curse or a formal condemnation. It is rare in English, and its exact date of first use is uncertain, though it is likely a later formation built on the older noun.

Synonyms: cursed, damned, accursed, doomed

Antonyms: blessed, sacred, holy