exaugurate

Etymology

From Latin exauguratus under the influence of English -ate, past participle of exaugurāre (“to deconsecrate, to profane”), from ex (“ex-: undo”) + augurāre (“to act as augur, to consecrate”), from augur + -āre (verb-forming suffix), q.v.

exaugurate means to annul the consecration of: to deconsecrate, secularize, profane, or otherwise unhallow (historical) particularly in ancient Roman contexts. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.

Why “exaugurate” is a great word

EXAUGURATE — [Verb] To formally annul the consecration of a place, especially a temple or altar, thereby deconsecrating it. From Latin exaugurātus, past participle of exaugurāre ("to deconsecrate"), from ex- ("out of, undo") + augurāre ("to act as an augur, to consecrate by augury"). Unlike "desecrate," which implies a violent defilement, or the broad "deconsecrate," to exaugurate is the precise, ceremonial reversal of an augury-based sanctity. It is the augur's staff lifted from the boundary stone, the sacred fire deliberately extinguished, and the inscribed dedication chiseled smooth from the lintel. In this quiet procedure, the sacred is not defiled but politely shown the door, a lease revoked by ceremony.

verb

To annul the consecration of: to deconsecrate, secularize, profane, or otherwise unhallow (historical) particularly in ancient Roman contexts.“[Tarquin] determined to exaugurate and unhallow certain churches and chappels.”