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to disfellowship

to disfellowship

1 9.9
To remove someone from a group for breaking rules
  • verb
  • /ˌdɪsˈfɛloʊʃɪp/
  • Jargon
translation icon : desafiliar
  • He faced the possibility of being disfellowshipped after violating the community's rules.

And if you leave and they announce that you have been disfellowshipped, your family may shun you.

Examples

  • This position was then enforced: members who participated in the war were disfellowshipped.

    Academic text (1998)
  • In 1981, the church's governing authority changed the rules to treat disassociated members like disfellowshipped members.

    Academic text (1991)
  • How could they disfellowship her?

  • And that is when someone close to our hearts... is disfellowshipped.

  • Well, I've got my sister as well, but she was disfellowshipped.

  • But we must put Jehovah first, even before our family members if they are disfellowshipped.

  • And if you leave and they announce that you have been disfellowshipped, your family may shun you.

  • If you are disfellowshipped or disassociated, I will have to cease my comments to you.

    Blog text (6)
  • The church decided to disfellowship anyone who disagreed with its core beliefs.

  • After the scandal, the committee voted to disfellowship the members involved.

Synonyms

to disown
vsto disfellowship
37 5.8

Refuse to accept someone or something and stop having any connection with them

is formal group membership removal rather than personal rejection
to ostracize
vsto disfellowship
  • US
31 7.7

To leave someone out of a group on purpose

is formal exclusion from membership rather than social avoidance
to cast out
vsto disfellowship
31 6.2

Force someone to leave a group or place because others reject them

is official membership removal rather than physical expulsion
to excommunicate
vsto disfellowship
  • Formal
24 9.3

To officially stop someone from being a member of a church as punishment

is formal exclusion that may be administrative rather than punitive
to outcast
vsto disfellowship
1 5.7

To force someone out of a group so others avoid them

is formal exclusion from membership rather than social shaming
to disaffiliate
vsto disfellowship
  • Formal
1 7.5

To stop being a member of a group or organization

is exclusion by a group of a member rather than ending an organizational tie
to unchurch
vsto disfellowship
  • Jargon
9.9

To officially stop someone being a member of a church group

is broader and applies to formal exclusion from any group, not only churches

Antonyms

1.0

To make a person or thing part of something larger

238 2.8

Allow someone to join a group or organization

How Excluded

to banish
107 6.3
to excommunicate
  • Formal
24 9.3
to expel
194 5.0
to disfellowship
  • Jargon
1 9.9
to suspend
141 3.9
to reprimand
  • Formal
33 6.1
to warn
1.0

Surface Forms

disfellowship infinitive
disfellowshipped past participle
disfellowshipping present participle
disfellowships third person singular

Morphology

disfellowship = fellowship (semi-transparent) = dis + fellow + ship

The verb is mostly understandable as exclude from fellowship, but its formal religious or disciplinary use is more specific than a general opposite.

Etymology

Disfellowship is made from dis- 'not' and fellow 'companion' or 'member', so to disfellowship someone is to make them 'not a fellow'. That's why it means to formally leave someone out of a group.