purge

1 of 2

verb

ˈpərj 

purged; purging

transitive verb

1

a

: to clear of guilt

b

: to free from moral or ceremonial defilement

2

a

: 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

intransitive verb

1

: to become purged

2

: to have or produce frequent evacuations

3

: to cause purgation

purger noun

purge

2 of 2

noun

1

: something that purges

especially : purgative

2

a

: an act or instance of purging

b

: the removal of elements or members regarded as undesirable and especially as treacherous or disloyal

Did you know?

In some cultures, a ritual bath or prayer is performed to purge guilt or evil spirits. The Minoans of ancient Crete may have used human sacrifice as a way of purging the entire community, which is fine for the community but rough on the victims. In many cultures, people periodically purge themselves physically—that is, clean out their digestive tracts—by taking strong laxatives; this used to be a popular springtime ritual, and herbal purgatives were readily available.

Synonyms

Verb

• cleanse
• purify
• sanctify

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

Environment and health activists celebrate the move as a monumental moment in the decades-long fight to purge the toxic chemicals from people’s bodies and their environments. —Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 12 Apr. 2024

Some of the Canes’ roster purging likely will come on the offensive line. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024

Related Articles Google to purge billions of files containing personal data in settlement of Chrome privacy case Gmail revolutionized email 20 years ago today. —Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024

Hoping to start a new chapter after graduating, Demeter managed to quit purging on her own and thought she was cured. —Audrey Richardson and Aurora Sousanis, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024

Google has agreed to purge billions of records containing personal information collected from more than 136 million people in the U.S. surfing the internet through its Chrome web browser. —Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024

The bar’s owner, Frankie (a spirited Jessica Williams), has hired Dalton to purge the riffraff, the better to realize her dream of making the Road House a respectable joint worthy of destination weddings and romantic getaways. —Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024

Before the book’s story in present-day China really gets going, Liu spends quite a bit of time in the past in order to give you a better grasp of the Cultural Revolution, the Maoist movement to purge society of capitalists and intellectuals. —Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 21 Mar. 2024

And Android users should be aware of the steps to lock and purge data from the device in the event of theft. —Yiwen Lu, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024

Noun

In truth, the party portion of the purge was likely already in motion—quietly, far from view, and for another, earlier scandal. —Charlie Campbell, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024

Around the three- to six-week mark, another potential side effect that can strike is the tretinoin purge, where the medication accelerates cell turnover and essentially pushes any looming breakouts to the surface, Dr. Sanghvi says. —Krissy Brady, SELF, 2 Apr. 2024

To older workers, the purge is both a reminder of the dotcom bust, and a new frontier. —Amanda Hoover, WIRED, 13 Mar. 2024

He was ejected from the Party during the Johnson purge of 2019. —Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024

All sorts of things are thrown into the fires, like wood, leaves and food, in a symbolic purge of evil and triumph of good. —Hari Kumar, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024

Paxton’s purge attempt is part of a wild brawl engulfing the state’s dominant political party, where the attacks are blunt and the haymakers personal. —Jim Vertuno, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2024

That’s because Telesco survived owner Jim Irsay’s massive purge in January 2012 that banished Polian and son Chris Polian among many others. —Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2024

Indian experts, however, say its purge from national digital life hasn’t resulted in a safer space. —Diksha Madhok, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French purger, from Latin purigare, purgare to purify, purge, from purus pure + -igare (akin to agere to drive, do) — more at act

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing purge

• binge and purge
• purge oneself

Kids Definition

purge

1 of 2 verb

ˈpərj 

purged; purging

1

: to make clean

2

: to have or cause strong and usually repeated emptying of the bowels

purge

2 of 2 noun

1

: an act or instance of purging

2

: something that purges

Medical Definition

purge

1 of 2 verb

ˈpərj 

purged; purging

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

1

: to become purged

2

: to have or produce frequent evacuations

3

: to cause purgation

purge

2 of 2 noun

1

: something that purges

especially : purgative

2

: an act or instance of purging

Legal Definition

purge

transitive verb

ˈpərj 

purged; purging

1

: to clear (as oneself or another) of guilt

purged himself of contempt

2

: to become no longer guilty of

purge the contempt