mortification
2
9.9
- noun
- /ˌmɔːrtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
- Formal
:
mortificación
- The retreat conferences included considerations of penance, mortification, and reformation of life.
- penance and mortification
- self-mortification
Examples
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She believed that mortification of the flesh was necessary for her spiritual growth.
-
There was a limit, he declared, to the mortification of the flesh.
Fiction book (2000) -
However, the purpose of this final mortification is to bring order out of confusion.
Academic text (1992) -
There is a book entitled "The Mortification of Sin" by John Owen.
Blog text (29) -
Times of prayer and self-mortification are not essential for the practice.
Blog text (29) -
Self-denial and mortification of the flesh... that's what brings us closer to God.
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As a form of self-mortification, what I'm up to can seem both high-minded and foolish.
Blog text (27) -
Here, the focus on the deterioration of the body suggests that while the body can ultimately be a pathway to spirituality, it also serves as a barrier, and the pain and mortification must be overcome before the transcendence can occur.
Academic text (2016) -
Through prayer and fasting, he practiced mortification to strengthen his spiritual resolve.
-
Many religious leaders teach that mortification is essential for overcoming bodily temptations.
Synonyms
A practice of hurting yourself on purpose to show discipline or say sorry, often for religious reasons
Compounds
- NSFW
A practice of hurting yourself on purpose to show discipline or say sorry, often for religious reasons
How Self-Denying
- Formal
3
9.4
- Formal
2
9.9
4
5.7
- NSFW
63
6.4
5
7.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
mortification = mortify (transparent) = mort + ify + ation
Regular noun formation from 'mortify', and the religious sense 'the act of subduing bodily desires' is directly related to the verb meaning.
Etymology
Mortification comes from the root mort- meaning 'death', and originally meant 'to make dead'. In a religious sense it means putting bodily desires 'to death' by self-denial, which is why mortification describes strict discipline of the body.