Anathema, in common usage, is something or someone detested or shunned. In its other main usage, it is a formal excommunication. The latter meaning, its ecclesiastical sense, is based on New Testament usage.

What is an example of anathema?

Its most common modern usage is in secular contexts where it is used to mean something or someone that is detested or shunned. Examples: "Racial hatred was anathema to her." "The idea that one would voluntarily inject poison into one's body was anathema to me."

What does anathema means in the Bible?

Anathema, (from Greek anatithenai: “to set up,” or “to dedicate”), in the Old Testament, a creature or object set apart for sacrificial offering. Its return to profane use was strictly banned, and such objects, destined for destruction, thus became effectively accursed as well as consecrated.