catharsis

noun

ca·thar·sis kə-ˈthär-səs

plural catharses kə-ˈthär-ˌsēz

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

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

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

: 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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web Figurines and miniatures of the filmmaker’s Moroccan family and neighborhood – built by her father – inspire moments of catharsis and unearth previously unspoken secrets and traumas. —

Beatrice Verhoeven, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Oct. 2023 Landis, for his part, views his new book as a form of catharsis. —

Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Oct. 2023 There are no big arguments or shocking moments of catharsis, just a series of long, meandering chats that owe more to Hawke’s Before Sunrise series than to anything else this show has yet done. —

Phillip MacIak, The New Republic, 27 Sep. 2023 Death Cab, which has been performing without original guitarist-producer Chris Walla for nearly a decade, sounded heavy in the places needed to deliver that catharsis, like the overpowering crescendo of the title track. —

Jill Mapes, Pitchfork, 20 Sep. 2023 Taylor Swift delivers emotional catharsis and anthems galore in epic, three-hour-plus show Aug. 3, 2023 There have been a handful of reports of coronavirus infections after Swift’s concerts at the outdoor Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara and elsewhere in recent weeks. —

Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2023 Oakley defies expectation by not building her catharsis around the Section 28 news or even around a big epiphany for Jean. —

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 June 2023 These are songs that provide quiet catharsis to hushed audiences. —

Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2023 Neely turned to art as a way to process her trauma, and some readers will find catharsis here. —

Renata Sancken, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'catharsis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.