[əˈnaθɪmə], (Noun)

Definitions:
- something or someone that one vehemently dislikes
(e.g: racial hatred was anathema to her)

- a formal curse by a pope or a council of the Church, excommunicating a person or denouncing a doctrine
(e.g: the Pope laid special emphasis on the second of these anathemas)


Phrases:

Origin:
early 16th century: from ecclesiastical Latin, ‘excommunicated person, excommunication’, from Greek anathema ‘thing dedicated’, (later) ‘thing devoted to evil, accursed thing’, from anatithenai ‘to set up’