catharsis

noun

ca·​thar·​sis kə-ˈthär-səs 

plural catharses kə-ˈthär-ˌsēz 

1

a

: purification or purgation of the emotions (such as pity and fear) primarily through art

b

: a purification or purgation that brings about spiritual renewal or release from tension

2

: elimination of a complex by bringing it to consciousness and affording it expression

3

: purgation

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Word History of Catharsis and Cathartic

Catharsis and cathartic both trace to the Greek word kathairein, meaning “to cleanse, purge.” Catharsis entered English as a medical term having to do with purging the body—and especially the bowels—of unwanted material. The adjective cathartic entered English with a meaning descriptive of such a physically cleansing purge. It didn’t take long for people to start using these words figuratively in reference to emotional release and spiritual cleansing.

Examples of catharsis in a Sentence

She has learned to have her catharsis, take a deep breath and move on.  … she does not dwell on the negative anymore. —Selena Roberts, New York Times, 24 June 2001

… malevolence is expressed in his decision to absent himself from the courtroom, thereby denying some victims of his torture the catharsis of compelling him to hear their stories of survival. —George F. Will, Newsweek, 25 May 1987

… there's the need for catharsis. If you play it all back a second time, you may wear away some of the pain, as you wear away a record with replaying. —Anatole Broyard, New York Times Book Review, 14 Nov. 1982

As soon as we emerged from the gates of the White House, I became aware of that sea of faces.  … I wanted to cry for them and with them, but it was impossible to permit the catharsis of tears. —Lady Bird Johnson 24 Nov. 1963, in A White House Diary,  1970

Acting is a means of catharsis for her.

Painting is a catharsis for me.

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s no denying that Caurón leans into the sentimental here and elsewhere, yet there’s a strong gust of catharsis that García Treviño transmits as Liborio’s bloodied body refuses to surrender. —Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026

Andy Markowski, a former Huskers forward who played with Lue in the 1990s and still lives in Nebraska, experienced some catharsis in 2024 when Nebraska’s women’s team, starring his daughter, Alexis, won an NCAA tournament game for the first time in a decade. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 16 Mar. 2026

Auriemma described it as one of the most emotional moments of his career, years of struggle and disappointment cumulating in the catharsis of finally accomplishing that ultimate goal. —Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026

Instead, Zeisig treats the project like a beat tape, preferring static mats of sound and dynamically unyielding drifts over crescendoes and catharsis. —Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 10 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek katharsis, from kathairein to cleanse, purge, from katharos

First Known Use

circa 1775, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for catharsis

• metatarsus
• parsis

Kids Definition

catharsis

noun

ca·​thar·​sis kə-ˈthär-səs 

formal

: the act or process of relieving a strong emotion (as pity or fear) especially by expressing it in art form

cathartic

-ˈthärt-ik

adjective

Medical Definition

catharsis

noun

ca·​thar·​sis

variants also katharsis

kə-ˈthär-səs 

plural catharses also katharses -ˌsēz 

1

: purgation

2

: elimination of a complex by bringing it to consciousness and affording it expression compare abreaction