/ əˈnæθəmə; NAmE / noun
[ U , C , usually sing. ] ( formal ) a thing or an idea which you hate because it is the opposite of what you believe :
Racial prejudice is (an) anathema to me.
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WORD ORIGIN
early 16th cent.: from ecclesiastical Latin , excommunicated person, excommunication , from Greek anathema thing dedicated, (later) thing devoted to evil, accursed thing, from anatithenai to set up.