What does anathema mean?
Anathema is a noun denoting something or someone that is intensely disliked, loathed, or regarded with deep aversion. In modern usage it is almost always figurative: one says that a proposal, practice, or idea is 'anathema to' a person or group, meaning they find it utterly unacceptable or repugnant. The word carries a strongly negative, formal tone, lending gravity to statements of opposition or disgust. Its second sense is historical and ecclesiastical: an anathema was a solemn curse pronounced by the Church, formally cutting off a person from the community of believers, often accompanied by the formula 'anathema sit' — 'let him be anathema.' This religious origin explains the word's forceful connotations. Derived from Greek via Latin, anathema entered English in the early modern period and remains a useful term for expressing categorical rejection with rhetorical weight, particularly in political, moral, and intellectual debate.
nounSomething or someone that is intensely disliked, loathed, or shunned; also, in ecclesiastical contexts, a formal curse of excommunication by which a person is cut off from the Church.
- A person or thing that is utterly detested, loathed, or abhorred; something regarded with intense aversion.
- A formal ecclesiastical curse or decree of excommunication, especially in historical Christian usage.
"For the strict traditionalist, any alteration to the original score was anathema."
"The idea of raising taxes was political anathema to the entire council."
"Medieval councils could pronounce an anathema upon those who propagated condemned doctrines."
The plural is rare because the word usually refers to a single abstract idea or condition; plural forms appear mainly in historical or liturgical writing referring to multiple formal curses.
"The council issued several anathemas against the dissenting sects."
In ancient Greek, 'anathema' originally meant something dedicated to the gods as an offering — but in Latin church hands it flipped into its opposite: a thing devoted not to blessing but to destruction.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anathema
Anathema comes from the Greek 'anathema,' meaning 'a thing set up' or 'dedicated,' derived from 'ana-' (up) and 'tithenai' (to place). In the Greek Bible it came to signify a thing devoted to destruction or accursed, and Latin Christian writers adopted this sense for the formal curse of excommunication. English acquired the word from Latin ecclesiastical usage in the early 17th century, initially retaining the religious meaning before developing its broader figurative sense of anything detested. Related terms sharing the Greek root include 'anathema's' sibling concept of the ban, while cognates such as 'theme' and 'thesis' derive from the same Greek verb 'tithenai.'
How anathema is actually used
Anathema is a formal word, most often used figuratively today to mean something someone finds deeply repugnant ('X is anathema to Y'). The literal religious sense — a solemn curse of excommunication — is now largely historical and appears mainly in discussions of church history. It is typically used predicatively or after 'to' rather than attributively.
Easily confused with anathema
An anthem is a song of praise or celebration, whereas anathema denotes something cursed, detested, or formally excommunicated — nearly opposite meanings despite similar spelling.