Commination

Commination is a noun that means the actin of threatening divine vengeance.  Derived from late Middle English, our word of the day combines the Latin prefix C-O-M, meaning expressing intensive force with the latin verb minari (me NAR ee) meaning to threaten.  Our word of the day is often used in a biblical or spiritual context in reference to a divine creature threatening to punish sinners, but it may also be used metaphorically. Here’s an example: When our boss threatened to dock the pay of anyone who left work early, it seemed to come from the loudspeakers like the voice of God. One thing for sure: the commination kept everybody at work until the final whistle.