What does imprecation mean?
An imprecation is a formal or literary word for a curse: an utterance intended to bring misfortune, suffering, or disaster upon someone or something. It may be a religious or magical invocation, as in a curse pronounced against an enemy, or, more figuratively, a forceful denunciation directed at a person, institution, or practice. The word belongs mainly to elevated, literary, historical, or academic language; in everyday speech, “curse” or “warning” is more natural. Imprecation can also describe a hostile verbal attack, though its strongest traditional sense is the ritual or ceremonial expression of a curse. The term is useful when precision about tone and register matters, especially in literary analysis, history, religious studies, or the study of rhetoric. It is related to the verb “imprecate” and the adjective “imprecatory,” both of which share its association with formally invoking or expressing evil.
nounAn imprecation is a curse or an invocation of evil intended to bring misfortune upon someone or something. The word is chiefly formal or literary.
- A curse or invocation of evil directed against someone or something.
- A statement expressing strong denunciation or wishing harm on a person or target.
"The old witch muttered an imprecation against the king."
"The inscription contained an imprecation against all who entered the temple."
"She dismissed his threat as an empty imprecation rather than a serious warning."
The plural is used for individual curses or expressions of denunciation.
"The novel's final pages contain several fierce imprecations against the colonial authorities."
An imprecation is a curse elevated to the status of literary vocabulary: the formal name for words meant to bring disaster upon someone.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does imprecation come from?
Imprecation comes from Latin imprecatio, a noun formed from imprecari, “to pray against” or “to invoke evil against.” The Latin prefix in- has an intensifying or opposing effect here, while precari means “to pray, entreat, or beseech.” The word entered English through Latin and French usage and was historically associated with curses, denunciations, and invocations of divine displeasure. It shares its Latin religious root with deprecate, although the modern senses have developed differently.
Related word forms
How imprecation is actually used
Chiefly formal, literary, or historical. In modern ordinary English, “curse” is much more common. The term can also refer broadly to a harsh denunciation, not only to a supernatural invocation.
Easily confused with imprecation
An imprecation invokes evil or misfortune, whereas aprecation expresses disapproval or regret.
An imprecation is a curse, while deprecation refers to the expression of disapproval or a request that something be changed.