Catholic Dictionary
Find accurate definitions of over 5,000 Catholic terms and phrases (including abbreviations). Based on Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.
Your Term:
EXTREME UNCTION
A term used for centuries for the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. It is unction because a person is anointed with oil; it is extreme because it is conferred on those who are considered in extremis, i.e., in extreme physical disability with the likelihood of dying.
