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\ ˈpərj 
\
\purged; purging
Definition of purge
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a : to clear of guilt
b : to free from moral or ceremonial defilement
2a : to cause evacuation from
purge the bowels
b(1) : to make free of something unwanted
purge a manhole of gas purge yourself of fear
(2) : to free (something, such as a boiler) of sediment or relieve (something, such as a steam pipe) of trapped air by bleeding
c(1) : to rid (a nation, a political party, etc.) by a purge
(2) : to get rid of
the leaders had been purged
purge
nounDefinition of purge (Entry 2 of 2)
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Examples of purge in a Sentence
Verb
High-ranking officials were purged from the company following the merger.
a day on which the faithful are expected to purge themselves of their sins through prayer and fasting
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Thousands of records were purged from the database as a result, but thousands more have been added since — many of them by LAPD officers.
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Los Angeles Times, "Police reform advocates demand LAPD stop using CalGang database," 5 May 2020 The allegations led the Defense Ministry to purge 11 officers from the intelligence unit, and at least one general resigned.
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Kejal Vyas, WSJ, "Colombian Intelligence Unit Used U.S. Equipment to Spy on Politicians, Journalists," 4 May 2020 That account itself was purged within a day after it was created.
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Shawn Yuan, Wired, "Inside the Early Days of China’s Coronavirus Coverup," 1 May 2020 As a safety measure, only epidemic investigators at KCDC can access the location information and once the COVID-19 outbreak is over, the personal information used for the contact tracing will be purged.
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Michael Ahn, The Conversation, "How South Korea flattened the coronavirus curve with technology," 21 Apr. 2020 During the Nazi era, the Berlin orchestra had been purged of Jewish performers.
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BostonGlobe.com, "Hellmut Stern, 91; violinist returned to Germany after fleeing," 3 Apr. 2020 Under ideal conditions, the immune system purges the body of pathogens without causing too much collateral damage to healthy human cells.
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National Geographic, "THE BEST OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX," 25 Mar. 2020 Italian design purged all suggestions of empire, aggression, and wealth — Mussolini’s themes — in favor of a sleek, trim, rational look.
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Brian T. Allen, National Review, "Radical Italian Art Goes Over the Top, Dazzlingly, in Houston," 29 Feb. 2020 The winner will be in position to cast a deciding vote on a case before the court that seeks to purge more than 200,000 people from Wisconsin’s voter rolls.
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Astead W. Herndonand Alexander Burns, BostonGlobe.com, "Voting in Wisconsin during a pandemic: lines, masks and plenty of fear," 8 Apr. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun President Trump is continuing his purge of national security officials.
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Harmeet Kaur, CNN, "5 things to know for February 20: Dem debate, Germany, White House, coronavirus, fertility," 20 Feb. 2020 Carrie, a seventh-year pro, was part of a purge of the Browns’ secondary.
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cleveland, "Report: Colts sign former Browns cornerback T.J. Carrie to a 1-year deal," 30 Mar. 2020 The removal of the Wuhan and Hubei party chiefs might only be the beginning of the provincial purge.
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James Griffiths, CNN, "Global novel coronavirus death toll reaches 1,383 as China purges officials in Hubei," 14 Feb. 2020 Completely waterproof, with a purge value to balance air pressure while on flights, the Long/Deep Pelican cases might very well replace all my plastic totes.
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T. Edward Nickens, Field & Stream, "The Best New Camping Gear of the Year," 7 Apr. 2020 The blood from the sacrifices was also intended as a purge.
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Samuel L. Boyd, The Conversation, "A virtual Passover may be the first for many, but Judaism has a long history of ritual innovation," 7 Apr. 2020 Despite Áñez’s talk of peace, there was a palpable sense that an ideological purge was under way.
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Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, "The Fall of Evo Morales," 16 Mar. 2020 Many donors are downsizing; others are on a Marie Kondo-like purge.
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Nancy Shohet West, BostonGlobe.com, "Welcome Home finds new homes for household donations," 12 Mar. 2020 The shake-up at the top of the intelligence community is the latest in a post-impeachment purge.
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Anchorage Daily News, "Trump set off by intelligence assertion that Russia favors him," 20 Feb. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'purge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for purge
purge
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of purge
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to remove people from an area, country, organization, etc., often in a violent and sudden way
: to cause something to leave the body
purge
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of purge (Entry 2 of 2)
: the often violent and sudden removal of people from an area, country, organization, etc.
See the full definition for purge in the English Language Learners Dictionary
purge
verb\ ˈpərj \
\purged; purging
Kids Definition of purge
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : to get rid of
Ineffective workers were purged from the company.
2 : to rid of unwanted things or people
The heir alone would be able to … purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic.— J. K. Rowling, Chamber of Secrets
purge
nounKids Definition of purge (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : an act or instance of ridding of what is unwanted
2 : the removal of members thought to be treacherous or disloyal
a purge of party leaders
purge
verb\ ˈpərj \
\purged; purging
Medical Definition of purge
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : to cause evacuation from (as the bowels) or of or from the bowels of
drugs that purge the bowels purged the patient with a cathartic
2 : to free (itself) of suspended matter usually by sedimentation
—used of a liquid
purge
nounMedical Definition of purge (Entry 2 of 2)
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purge
transitive verb\ ˈpərj \
\purged; purging
Legal Definition of purge
1 : to clear (as oneself or another) of guilt
purged himself of contempt
2 : to become no longer guilty of
purge the contempt
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Time Traveler for purge
The first known use of purge was in the 14th century
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