noncommunicant
C2/RareFormal, Ecclesiastical, Literary
Definition
Meaning
A person who does not receive Holy Communion, especially in the context of Christian religious services.
Someone who abstains from or is excluded from participation in a central ritual or sacrament of a community; by extension, one who remains outside a shared experience or practice.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used in religious contexts (Christianity, specifically Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox). Can be used metaphorically in literary or sociological texts to denote an outsider to a core communal practice.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Slightly more common in British English due to the established state church context. In American English, usage is almost exclusively within formal religious or academic writing.
Connotations
Neutral descriptor in religious contexts; can carry a tone of formal exclusion or self-imposed distance in metaphorical use.
Frequency
Very low frequency in both variants. Appears in theological texts, church records, and high-register literature.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[noncommunicant] + [prepositional phrase: at/in Mass/service][noncommunicant] + [relative clause: who does not receive...][adjective] + [noncommunicant]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To sit/stand as a noncommunicant”
- “In the pews with the noncommunicants”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not applicable.
Academic
Used in theological, historical, or sociological studies discussing religious practice and community boundaries.
Everyday
Virtually never used in casual conversation.
Technical
Precise term in canon law, liturgy, and ecclesiastical records.
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- The vicar noted that several noncommunicants were nonetheless regular attendees at Matins.
- His status as a noncommunicant barred him from certain parish offices.
American English
- The parish register distinguished between communicants and noncommunicants.
- She remained a noncommunicant due to her personal theological reservations.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- In some churches, noncommunicants may still come forward for a blessing.
- The medieval church had complex rules governing the treatment of noncommunicants during the Eucharist.
- Her research focused on the social role of the noncommunicant in 17th-century Anglican communities.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
"NON-COMMUNICANT: Does NOT take COMMunion, like a NON-participANT."
Conceptual Metaphor
COMMUNION IS INCLUSION / SHARED EXPERIENCE; therefore, NONCOMMUNICANT IS EXCLUSION / ISOLATION FROM THE CORE.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'немой' (mute) или 'некоммуникабельный' (uncommunicative). Прямой коррелят — 'непричащающийся'.
Common Mistakes
- Spelling: 'non-communicant' (hyphenated form is less common but acceptable).
- Confusing with 'non-communicative'.
- Using in secular contexts where 'non-participant' is meant.
Practice
Quiz
In a metaphorical literary sense, a 'noncommunicant' might describe:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily, yes. Its core meaning is rooted in Christian sacramental practice. Any secular use is a deliberate metaphor extending from this meaning.
A noncommunicant may choose not to receive Communion or be ineligible for other reasons (e.g., not confirmed). An excommunicant has been formally excluded from the sacraments by church authority as a penalty.
Yes, 'non-communicant' is an accepted variant, though the closed form 'noncommunicant' is increasingly standard.
No, it is a rare, specialist term used almost exclusively in formal religious, historical, or literary contexts.