excommunication

/ˌɛkskəˌmjunəˈkeɪʃən/
noun
  1. The act of officially excluding someone from membership in a religious community, especially the Christian Church.
    • In medieval times, excommunication was a powerful punishment that could affect a person's social and political life.
    • The church announced the excommunication of the priest who had broken its rules.
    • Many people were shocked by the excommunication of the popular bishop.
  2. The state of being excluded from a group or community, not necessarily religious.
    • After the scandal, he faced a kind of social excommunication from his former friends.
    • The committee's decision led to the excommunication of the member who had leaked the information.
    • In some online communities, excommunication means being banned permanently from the forum.