commination
/ˌkɒmɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n
/noun [mass noun]
1The action of threatening divine vengeance.An agreement between God and Man, about the way of obtaining consummate happiness, including a commination of eternal destruction, with which the contemner of the happiness, offered in that way, is to be punished....
- The text begins with the morning prayer and ends with a commination.
- It was his job to save them and not to shake his head and thunder comminations.
1.1The recital of divine threats against sinners in the Anglican Liturgy for Ash Wednesday.And the terror of the covenant of works is increased by repeated comminations; and that voice heard, ‘cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them,’ Deut. xxvii. 26.
1.2 [count noun] The church service that includes the commination.
Origin
Late Middle English: from Latin comminatio(n-), from the verb comminari, from com- (expressing intensive force) + minari 'threaten'.