Meanings
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1
noun
the act of cleansing someone or something of impurity, guilt, or defilement
The ritual represented a spiritual purgation before the festival.
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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.
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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
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.