To officially ban someone from participating in religious rituals and community activities as a punishment for breaking religious rules.
From Latin 'excommunicatus,' combining 'ex-' (out) and 'communicatus' (shared in common). The term emerged in Christian practice during the medieval period to describe removal from church communion and community.
Excommunication was one of the most powerful weapons the medieval Church possessed—it didn't just ban you from church, it socially isolated you because Christians couldn't eat with you or do business with you, making it more feared than death to many people.
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