Meaning

(historical, UK) To deprive of the privilege of citizenship of a town or city..

Definitions by Sense

1. (historical, UK) To deprive of the privilege of citizenship of a town or city.
2. (historical, law) To deprive (lands etc.) of commonable quality, by enclosing or appropriating.
3. To exclude from using a commonable resource, such as land.
4. (transitive, UK, Oxford and Cambridge universities, historical) To deprive of the right to deal with undergraduates.

Example Sentences

But what punishment is laid vpon Recusants, by the rare clemencie of her Maiestie, any way comparable to those that Christian Emperours haue made against Recusants, or such as refused to communicate with the Church of Christ? They were discommoned from buying and selling, from bequeathing their goods or lands to others, or receiuing anie Legacies from others, yea they might not inioy their fathers inheritaunce, &c. What like thing is done to English Recusants? or rather what not vnlike? they buy, they sell, they bequeath their goods at their pleasure, they receiue legacies, and inioy inheritances.

Let us not leave our fellowship, and estrange our selves from Gods people[…]To be discommoned a Town, or for a Citizen to be banished a city, is a great evill: But to be an exile from Gods city, and discommoned [i.e. excommunicated] from the communion of Saints, this is lamentable indeed.

And as a confirmation of the obligation of residence, which we have before insisted upon, it appears, the person, in strict conformity with the common law, was "discommoned," or disfranchised, because he had not inhabited within the city for the space of one year.

She saw in front of her a two-storey house, standing back from the gravel pathway, on the edge of a triangular piece of turf which represented, no doubt, a more extensive village green, now discommoned and taken in by the private dwellings scattered around.

[…]acres had already been discommoned – that is, they were no longer available to tenants, cottagers and freeholders[…]

I know we may by way of admonition, before hand, tell them of the danger, and by way of perswasion presse them better to prepare themselves: but wee may not for their sakes discommon our selves from the table of the Lord .

Whiles thou discommonest thy neighbours keyne, And warn'st that none feed on thy field saue thine;."

Let them be separated, let not me separate myself; Let the wicked be discommon'd, not the godly, for the godly are in the right, and may stand in it as a man at his own table in his own house, or in his own ground;

Word Forms

• discommons
• discommoning
• discommoned

Synonyms for discommon

Related Words

When Should You Use Discommon?

Use discommon when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

Practice This Word

Frequently Asked Questions