To excommunicate someone is to punish them by putting them officially outside a church. After that they are no longer a full member, and they may not share the church’s holy rites. In the Roman Catholic church, that often means they cannot receive Communion.

To excommunicate someone開除某人的教籍 is to punish them就是懲罰他們 by putting them officially outside a church正式把他們趕出教會。After that在那之後, they are no longer a full member他們就不再是完整的成員, and they may not share the church's holy rites也不能參加教會的聖禮。In the Roman Catholic church在天主教會裡, that often means they cannot receive Communion這通常表示他們不能領聖體。

It is church law, not police law, and the tone is heavy and old. You will meet it in history (popes against kings), in Vatican news, and in novels about faith. Other churches have ways of putting people out, but this English word is most tightly tied to Catholic practice.

It is church law它是教會的法, not police law不是世俗的法律, and the tone is heavy and old語氣也很沉重、古老。You will meet it in history你會在歷史裡遇到這個字 (popes against kings像教宗對抗國王), in Vatican news在梵蒂岡的新聞裡, and in novels about faith還有寫信仰的小說裡。Other churches have ways of putting people out其他教會也有把人趕出去的做法, but this English word is most tightly tied to Catholic practice但這個英文字跟天主教的做法連結最深。

People also stretch it as a joke — “spoil the ending and we will excommunicate you from the film club” — though actually that is play, not real church law.

People also stretch it as a joke人們也會拿它開玩笑 — “spoil the ending and we will excommunicate you from the film club”像「你敢爆雷我們就把你踢出電影社」 — though actually不過 that is play, not real church law這只是玩笑，不是真的教會法。

There is an older adjective use, an excommunicate person, meaning someone already thrown out; today we nearly always say excommunicated. It is not “the church stopped talking to you” in the everyday sense of communicate, even though the Latin pieces do mean “put out of the community.”

There is an older adjective use還有一個較舊的形容詞用法, an excommunicate person叫an excommunicate person, meaning someone already thrown out指已經被逐出的人; today we nearly always say excommunicated現在幾乎都說excommunicated。It is not “the church stopped talking to you”它不是指「教會不理你了」 in the everyday sense of communicate那種日常communicate的意思, even though the Latin pieces do mean “put out of the community.”雖然拉丁文的字根確實是「趕出群體」的意思。