purgation

C2 Topic:Religion & Belief

US /pɝːˈɡeɪʃən/ UK /pɜːˈɡeɪʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #173644

Meanings

1

noun
the act of cleansing someone or something of impurity, guilt, or defilement

The ritual represented a spiritual purgation before the festival.
2

noun
the act of clearing oneself or another person from an accusation or stigma

The testimony was offered in purgation of his damaged reputation.
3

noun
the evacuation of the bowels by means of a purgative, now chiefly a historical medical term

The physician prescribed purgation according to the medical practice of the period.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the act of cleansing... purification cleansing absolution

2 noun · the act of clearing oneself... vindication exoneration

3 noun · the evacuation of the... purgingcatharsis

Opposites

defilement contamination

Word family

Derived forms superpurgation

Related forms purge purgative purification

Etymology

From Middle English purgacioun, through Anglo-Norman and Old French from Latin purgatio, "a cleansing or justification," from purgare, "to cleanse or clear." Its religious, legal, and medical senses all preserve the central idea of removing an impurity, accusation, or bodily substance.

Topics

Religion & Belief

External links

# purgation

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /pɝːˈɡeɪʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /pɜːˈɡeɪʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 173644

## Meanings
1. the act of cleansing someone or something of impurity, guilt, or defilement
2. the act of clearing oneself or another person from an accusation or stigma
3. the evacuation of the bowels by means of a purgative, now chiefly a historical medical term

## Examples
- The ritual represented a spiritual purgation before the festival.
- The testimony was offered in purgation of his damaged reputation.
- The physician prescribed purgation according to the medical practice of the period.

## Synonyms
- purification
- cleansing
- vindication
- purging

## Antonyms
- defilement
- contamination

## Derived Forms
- superpurgation

## Related Forms
- purge
- purgative
- purification

## Etymology
From Middle English purgacioun, through Anglo-Norman and Old French from Latin purgatio, "a cleansing or justification," from purgare, "to cleanse or clear." Its religious, legal, and medical senses all preserve the central idea of removing an impurity, accusation, or bodily substance.

## Topics
- Religion & Belief

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