purges; purged; purging
1
: to remove people from an area, country, organization, etc., often in a violent and sudden way
purge a country of an ethnic group = purge an ethnic group from a country
High-ranking officials were purged from the company following the merger.
2
: to cause something to leave the body
medicines that purge the body of toxins = medicines that purge toxins from the body
plural purges
: the often violent and sudden removal of people from an area, country, organization, etc.
Stalin's purges
brutal postwar purges
a corporate purge
Cite this Entry
“Purge.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/purge. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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