an ecclesiastical censure, by which the church of Rome forbids the performance of divine service in a kingdom, province, town, &c. This censure has been frequently executed in France, Italy, and Germany; and in the year 1170, pope Alexander III. put all England under an interdict, forbidding the clergy to perform any part of divine service, except baptising of infants, taking confessions, and giving absolution to dying penitents. But this censure being liable to the ill consequences of promoting libertinism and a neglect of religion, the succeeding popes have very seldom made use of it.

There was also an interdict of persons, who were deprived of the benefit of attending on divine service. Particular persons were also anciently interdicted of fire and water, which signified a banishment for some particular offence: by their censure no person was allowed to receive them, or allow them fire or water; and being thus wholly deprived of the two necessary elements of life, they were doubtless under a kind of civil death.