anathème

anathema

noun ah-nah-TEM Rare

Origin: Greek anathema, 'thing devoted to evil'

Also means

curse

Usage Note

L'anathème originally referred to a formal ecclesiastical excommunication or curse; in modern French it means any strong condemnation or thing considered utterly unacceptable — jeter l'anathème sur quelqu'un (to hurl condemnation at someone). It is a literary or rhetorical term rarely heard in casual conversation. The plural is des anathèmes.

Examples

"Il a jeté l'anathème sur ses adversaires."

Natural Translation

He hurled condemnation at his opponents.

Literal Translation

He threw the anathema on his opponents.

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