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# unction

noun (unction — uncountable)

«unction» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (church) Unction is the act of anointing someone with holy oil as a sign of God's blessing, for example for the sick. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unction/#m1)
2. (formal, disapproving) Unction is a way of talking that is too smooth, oily and falsely serious or polite. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unction/#m2)
3. With unction means speaking with great warmth and feeling, as if you really enjoy what you are saying. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unction/#m3)

### In the lessons

In church, «the anointing of the sick», once called «extreme unction», is a sacrament in which a priest anoints a sick or dying person with oil; Catholics and some other Christians believe it brings God's strength and comfort. In the Bible, kings and priests were anointed with oil. In old books a person who speaks «with unction» seems greasy and insincere.

### Examples

- The priest gave unction to the dying man. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unction/#x1)
- Kings were anointed with holy oil, a kind of unction. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unction/#x2)
- He spoke with great unction about his own goodness. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unction/#x3)
- The anointing of the sick was once called extreme unction. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unction/#x4)
- The salesman's unction made us distrust him. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unction/#x5)
- Christians believe the oil is a sign of God's care. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unction/#x6)

### Note

Uncountable. Adjective: «unctuous» (oily, too smooth) is used more today than «unction» for the second sense.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «unction» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unction/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«unction» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/unction.html) on Mova free.