Ex'com-mū'ni-cā'tion, n.

n. [Lat. excommunicatio, Fr. excommunication, Pr. escomeni[a]zon, excommunio, Sp. excomunion, It. escomunicazione.] (Eccl.) The act of excommunicating or ejecting; especially, expulsion from the communion of a church, and deprivation of its rights, privileges, and advantages.

Excommunication is of two kinds, the lesser and the greater; the lesser excommunication is a separation or suspension from partaking of the eucharist; the greater is an absolute exclusion of the offender from the church and all its rights and advantages.