unction. Anointing with oil, with a religious significance, usually by a bishop or priest, e.g. at the Coronation of a monarch. In the RC and E. Orthodox Churches unction is used at both Baptism and Confirmation, but the word is most commonly applied to the Sacrament of the Unction (or Anointing) of the Sick, long known in the W. as Extreme Unction.

In the NT anointing of the sick is mentioned in Mk. 6:13 and Jas. 5:14 f. There are various references in the Fathers, and from the time of Peter Lombard (d.1160) it has been reckoned one of the Seven Sacraments. Until c.800 recovery from illness was expected to result. In the W., however, the rite became connected with the penitential system and was commonly postponed until death was approaching; bodily recovery was not ordinarily looked for. The 1972 RC Ordo again lays emphasis on healing. After prayer and the laying on of hands, the patient is anointed on the forehead and hands; normally oil blessed by the bishop on Maundy Thursday is used. In the E. Church the rite, called Euchelaion (from the Greek words meaning ‘prayer’ and ‘oil’) is administered in church by a number of priests. The primary end is said to be physical cure, but it is often received as a preparation for Communion by those who are not ill. In the C of E a form of unction was included in the Order for the Visitation of the Sick in 1549, but was dropped in 1552. Provision for anointing the sick is included in most modern Anglican liturgies, including CW.

Anointing

Judaism

Pouring oil on a person symbolizes their elevation of status, especially in relation to God. In Israel, it was performed at the inauguration of kings, the consecration of priests, and the cleansing of lepers. The Hebrew term mashiaḥ (‘anointed one’) came to mean king or high priest, and was then transliterated into English as messiah.

Christianity

In the New Testament anointing is found as a charismatic means of healing: see UNCTION. From early times anointing has also been used in the rites of baptism, confirmation, and ordination, as well as in the consecration of churches, altars, bells, etc. See also CHRISM.

Unction. The religious use of oil for anointing; and in Christian use specifically the rite of anointing of the sick. The practice has its authority in the New Testament (Mark 6. 13, James 5. 14 f.), and in the Middle Ages came to be numbered among the seven sacraments. In the early cents., it was connected with recovery from illness, but thereafter the rite became so closely connected with repentance and the whole penitential system that it was commonly postponed until death was approaching. Thus the name ‘extreme unction’ by which the rite was long known probably derives from its reception in extremis.

unc·tion / ˈəng(k)shən/ • n. 1. formal the action of anointing someone with oil or ointment as a religious rite or as a symbol of investiture as a monarch. ∎  the oil or ointment so used. ∎ short for extreme unction. 2. archaic treatment with a medicinal oil or ointment. ∎  an ointment: mercury in the form of unctions. 3. a manner of expression arising or apparently arising from deep emotion, esp. as intended to flatter: he spoke the last two words with exaggerated unction.

unction An anointing with oil: kings and priests were to be consecrated with oil (1 Sam. 10: 1 ff.; Lev. 8: 12). healing with the use of oil is commended by James (5: 14–15). Messiah (‘Christ’) means ‘anointed’ and the fact that Christ was sent to be ‘anointed with the oil of gladness’ (Heb. 1: 9) for his Messianic work, and his reception of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4: 18), provided a model for the subsequent work of the Church which used rites of anointing for bestowal of the Spirit, as at ordinations.

anointing. A ceremonial action to separate persons and things from profane use and to obtain for them the infusion of Divine grace. In the OT priests and kings are anointed, and the future deliverer is designated the ‘Anointed One’ or ‘Messiah’ (q.v.). The Church from early times used sacramental anointing in the rites of Baptism, Confirmation, and Ordination, as well as in the consecration of churches, bells, altars, etc. See also CHRISM, UNCTION, and CORONATION RITE IN ENGLAND.

unction
A. anointing as a rite or symbol XIV;

B. (after 1 John 2: 20) spiritual influence XIV; spiritual feeling XVII;

C. lubrication, ointment XVI. — L. unctiō, -ōn-, f. unct-, pp. stem of ung(u)- ere; see UNGUENT, -TION.
So unctuous greasy, oily XIV; fat, rich XV. — medL. unctuōsus.

Unction

of undertakers: a company of undertakers—Lipton, 1970.

unction •ashen, fashion, passion, ration •abstraction, action, attraction, benefaction, compaction, contraction, counteraction, diffraction, enaction, exaction, extraction, faction, fraction, interaction, liquefaction, malefaction, petrifaction, proaction, protraction, putrefaction, redaction, retroaction, satisfaction, stupefaction, subtraction, traction, transaction, tumefaction, vitrifaction •expansion, mansion, scansion, stanchion •sanction •caption, contraption •harshen, Martian •cession, discretion, freshen, session •abjection, affection, circumspection, collection, complexion, confection, connection, convection, correction, defection, deflection, dejection, detection, direction, ejection, election, erection, genuflection, imperfection, infection, inflection, injection, inspection, insurrection, interconnection, interjection, intersection, introspection, lection, misdirection, objection, perfection, predilection, projection, protection, refection, reflection, rejection, resurrection, retrospection, section, selection, subjection, transection, vivisection •exemption, pre-emption, redemption •abstention, apprehension, ascension, attention, circumvention, comprehension, condescension, contention, contravention, convention, declension, detention, dimension, dissension, extension, gentian, hypertension, hypotension, intention, intervention, invention, mention, misapprehension, obtention, pension, prehension, prevention, recension, retention, subvention, supervention, suspension, tension •conception, contraception, deception, exception, inception, interception, misconception, perception, reception •Übermenschen • subsection •ablation, aeration, agnation, Alsatian, Amerasian, Asian, aviation, cetacean, citation, conation, creation, Croatian, crustacean, curation, Dalmatian, delation, dilation, donation, duration, elation, fixation, Galatian, gyration, Haitian, halation, Horatian, ideation, illation, lavation, legation, libation, location, lunation, mutation, natation, nation, negation, notation, nutation, oblation, oration, ovation, potation, relation, rogation, rotation, Sarmatian, sedation, Serbo-Croatian, station, taxation, Thracian, vacation, vexation, vocation, zonation •accretion, Capetian, completion, concretion, deletion, depletion, Diocletian, excretion, Grecian, Helvetian, repletion, Rhodesian, secretion, suppletion, Tahitian, venetian •academician, addition, aesthetician (US esthetician), ambition, audition, beautician, clinician, coition, cosmetician, diagnostician, dialectician, dietitian, Domitian, edition, electrician, emission, fission, fruition, Hermitian, ignition, linguistician, logician, magician, mathematician, Mauritian, mechanician, metaphysician, mission, monition, mortician, munition, musician, obstetrician, omission, optician, paediatrician (US pediatrician), patrician, petition, Phoenician, physician, politician, position, rhetorician, sedition, statistician, suspicion, tactician, technician, theoretician, Titian, tuition, volition •addiction, affliction, benediction, constriction, conviction, crucifixion, depiction, dereliction, diction, eviction, fiction, friction, infliction, interdiction, jurisdiction, malediction, restriction, transfixion, valediction •distinction, extinction, intinction •ascription, circumscription, conscription, decryption, description, Egyptian, encryption, inscription, misdescription, prescription, subscription, superscription, transcription •proscription •concoction, decoction •adoption, option •abortion, apportion, caution, contortion, distortion, extortion, portion, proportion, retortion, torsion •auction •absorption, sorption •commotion, devotion, emotion, groschen, Laotian, locomotion, lotion, motion, notion, Nova Scotian, ocean, potion, promotion •ablution, absolution, allocution, attribution, circumlocution, circumvolution, Confucian, constitution, contribution, convolution, counter-revolution, destitution, dilution, diminution, distribution, electrocution, elocution, evolution, execution, institution, interlocution, irresolution, Lilliputian, locution, perlocution, persecution, pollution, prosecution, prostitution, restitution, retribution, Rosicrucian, solution, substitution, volution •cushion • resumption • München •pincushion •Belorussian, Prussian, Russian •abduction, conduction, construction, deduction, destruction, eduction, effluxion, induction, instruction, introduction, misconstruction, obstruction, production, reduction, ruction, seduction, suction, underproduction •avulsion, compulsion, convulsion, emulsion, expulsion, impulsion, propulsion, repulsion, revulsion •assumption, consumption, gumption, presumption •luncheon, scuncheon, truncheon •compunction, conjunction, dysfunction, expunction, function, junction, malfunction, multifunction, unction •abruption, corruption, disruption, eruption, interruption •T-junction • liposuction •animadversion, aspersion, assertion, aversion, Cistercian, coercion, conversion, desertion, disconcertion, dispersion, diversion, emersion, excursion, exertion, extroversion, immersion, incursion, insertion, interspersion, introversion, Persian, perversion, submersion, subversion, tertian, version •excerption