catharsis

American  

[kuh-thahr-sis] / kəˈθɑr sɪs /

noun

• catharses
  plural

1. the purging of the emotions or relieving of emotional tensions, especially through certain kinds of art, as tragedy or music.

2. Medicine/Medical. purgation.

3. Psychiatry.

   1. psychotherapy that encourages or permits the discharge of pent-up, socially unacceptable affects.

   2. discharge of pent-up emotions so as to result in the alleviation of symptoms or the permanent relief of the condition.

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catharsis British  

/ kəˈθɑːsɪs /

noun

1. (in Aristotelian literary criticism) the purging or purification of the emotions through the evocation of pity and fear, as in tragedy

2. psychoanal the bringing of repressed ideas or experiences into consciousness, thus relieving tensions See also abreaction

3. purgation, esp of the bowels

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catharsis Cultural  

1. An experience of emotional release and purification, often inspired by or through art. In psychoanalysis, catharsis is the release of tension and anxiety that results from bringing repressed feelings and memories into consciousness.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• hypercatharsis
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• catharses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of catharsis

First recorded in 1795–1805; from New Latin, from Greek kátharsis “a cleansing,” equivalent to kathar- (variant stem of kathaírein “to cleanse,” derivative of katharós “pure”) + -sis -sis

Explanation

Use the noun catharsis to refer to the experience a person can have of releasing emotional tension and feeling refreshed afterwards. Conceived by Aristotle as the cleansing effect of emotional release that tragic drama has on its audience, catharsis stems from a Greek verb meaning "to purify, purge." Today, it can be used to describe any emotional release, including a good long laugh or cry that is followed by a sense of balance and freshness afterwards.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

catharsis catharses

No history, no struggle, no catharsis, no exploration, no humanity.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

“That catharsis is another feeling and I knew so much of my audience had an experience with this music, but maybe had to compartmentalize and be on the outside in order to enjoy it.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

Many in the nation felt catharsis, and deep respect for those who had pulled it off after nearly a decade of often-frustrated efforts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

But it is also the site of great catharsis and creativity, as per a recent, acclaimed documentary named after the studio.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

The third church offered passion and catharsis; it was a place where you truly felt the presence of the Holy Spirit inside you.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

Drawing from his life in Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, Mr. Kahan writes about quiet moments in small towns that lead to grand catharses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026

Both Emma and Peter are stuck in unsatisfactory career situations that were “supposed to be temporary”; you can smell the catharses coming.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 9, 2022

“On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” is, at the same time, filled with showy, affected writing, with forced catharses and swollen quasi-profundities.

From New York Times ● May 27, 2019

This can make for a frustrating viewing experience in the moment, a film whose moral ambiguities and incomplete catharses don’t map onto a known horror template.

From Slate ● Mar. 20, 2019

The peals of laughter that rumbled across Broadway in the months following the terrorist attacks were emblematic of the most exuberant theatrical catharses I have ever experienced.

From Washington Post