[ ə'naθəmə ]
■ noun
1》 something that one vehemently dislikes: racism was ~ to her.
2》 a formal curse of the Church, excommunicating a person or denouncing a doctrine.
Origin
C16: from eccles. L., from Gk ~ 'thing dedicated', (later) 'thing devoted to evil', from anatithenai 'to set up'.