purgatory

noun

pur·​ga·​to·​ry ˈpər-gə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce purgatory (audio)
plural purgatories
1
: an intermediate state after death for expiatory purification
specifically : a place or state of punishment wherein according to Roman Catholic doctrine the souls of those who die in God's grace may make satisfaction for past sins and so become fit for heaven
2
: a place or state of temporary suffering or misery

Did you know?

Purgatory is the place where the soul is cleansed of all impurities, as Dante described in his great poem The Divine Comedy. Today purgatory can refer to any place or situation in which suffering and misery are felt to be sharp but temporary. Waiting to hear the results of a test, or whether you got a good job, can be a purgatory. And an endless after-dinner speech can make an entire roomful of people feel as if they're in purgatory.

Examples of purgatory in a Sentence

the purgatory of drug abuse The marathons were jokingly referred to as one-day purgatories.
Recent Examples on the Web Just last year, the hip-hop outfit’s six albums finally made it to streaming services after years in digital purgatory due to a variety of legal issues, including uncleared samples. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2024 Tools that promised practical business value from gen-AI were mostly out of reach, leaving most IT departments trapped in AI purgatory, where business hopes and dreams went to die. Husein Sharaf, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 For nearly a year, the 56-year-old De León has clawed his way back from political purgatory, unveiling new street signs, showing up at awards dinners and chatting with constituents at his food giveaways. Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2023 Angels Commentary: Angels are mired in free-agent purgatory. Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024 For a team seemingly stuck in NFL purgatory — too good to be bad, too bad to be good — the Steelers never are boring. Will Graves, USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2024 In modern-day New Orleans, an eclectic band of paranormal experts (comprised of LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Danny DeVito, Owen Wilson, and Tiffany Haddish) summons her from her crystal purgatory to help vanquish an army of evil spirits. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 27 July 2023 Advertisement Angels Commentary: Angels are mired in free-agent purgatory. Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2024 Psychedelics spent a half-century in political and medical purgatory. David Wainer, WSJ, 6 Jan. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French or Medieval Latin; Anglo-French purgatorie, from Medieval Latin purgatorium, from Late Latin, neuter of purgatorius purging, from Latin purgare

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of purgatory was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near purgatory

Cite this Entry

“Purgatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purgatory. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

purgatory

noun
pur·​ga·​to·​ry ˈpər-gə-ˌtōr-ē How to pronounce purgatory (audio)
-ˌtȯr-
plural purgatories
: a state after death in which according to Roman Catholic belief the souls of those who die in God's grace are purified of their sins by suffering
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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