purge

American  

[purj] / pɜrdʒ /

verb (used with object)

purges, present (3rd person singular) purged, past participle, past purging present participle

1. to rid of whatever is impure or undesirable; cleanse; purify.

   The water was purged and then tested for purity, so it should be safe to drink.

2. to rid, clear, or free (usually followed by of orfrom ).

   The raid was intended to purge the political party of disloyal members.

3. to remove by cleansing or purifying (often followed by away, off, orout ).

4. to clear or empty (the stomach or bowels) by inducing vomiting or evacuation.

5. to cause evacuation of the bowels of (a person).

6. to put to death or otherwise eliminate (undesirable or unwanted members) from a political organization, government, nation, etc.

   Synonyms:

   extirpate, liquidate, oust

7. Computers. to delete or remove (data or the like).

   Make sure to purge all sensitive information from your phone before you sell it.

8. to clear of imputed guilt or ritual uncleanliness.

9. to clear away or wipe out legally (an offense, accusation, etc.) by atonement or other suitable action.

10. Metallurgy.

    1. to drive off (undesirable gases) from a furnace or stove.

    2. to free (a furnace or stove) of undesirable gases.

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verb (used without object)

purges, present (3rd person singular) purged, past participle, past purging present participle

1. to become cleansed or purified.

2. to clear or empty the stomach or bowels by inducing vomiting or evacuation.

   A bulimic individual who binges and purges often will experience physical changes that make stopping the cycle extremely difficult.

noun

1. the act or process of purging.

2. the removal or elimination of members of a political organization, government, nation, etc., who are considered disloyal or otherwise undesirable.

3. something that purges, as a purgative medicine or laxative.

purge British  

/ pɜːdʒ /

verb

1. (tr) to rid (something) of (impure or undesirable elements)

2. (tr) to rid (a state, political party, etc) of (dissident or troublesome people)

3. (tr)

   1. to empty (the bowels) by evacuation of faeces

   2. to cause (a person) to evacuate his bowels

4. 1. to clear (a person) of a charge

   2. to free (oneself) of guilt, as by atonement

      to purge contempt

5. (intr) to be cleansed or purified

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noun

1. the act or process of purging

2. the elimination of opponents or dissidents from a state, political party, etc

3. a purgative drug or agent; cathartic

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unpurgeable
  adjective
• purger
  noun
• purgeable
  adjective
• unpurged
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has purged
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have purged
  perfect
• is purging
  progressive 3rd person singular
• am purging
  progressive 1st person singular
• have been purging
  perfect progressive
• has been purging
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• are purging
  progressive
• purging
  participle
• purges
  singular 3rd person

Past

• had purged
  perfect
• was purging
  progressive singular
• had been purging
  perfect progressive
• were purging
  progressive plural
• purged
  simple
• purged
  participle

Future

• will purge
  simple
• will have purged
  perfect
• will have been purging
  perfect progressive
• will be purging
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of purge

First recorded in 1250–1300; (verb) Middle English purgen, from Old French purg(i)er, from Latin pūrgāre “to cleanse”; (noun) Middle English, from Old French, derivative of the verb

Explanation

To purge is to get rid of something or someone, and often it’s done suddenly. Purge rhymes with urge, and when you have a really strong urge to throw stuff away or clean something out, you have an urge to purge. From the Latin purgare, meaning "purify," purge is used as a verb for removing impure things, whether they're guilty feelings in a person or rotten vegetables in a refrigerator. As a noun, the act of tossing out the too-small clothes in your closet before getting new ones might be called a purge. It can be a very bad act, too, as when individuals have an unhealthy urge to purge or empty their stomachs after eating or when a military group decides to purge a certain ethnic group from a country.

Example Sentences

But, as religious freedom activists point out, once the purge starts, the circle of who is considered an insider tends to shrink.

From Salon • Jun. 10, 2026

Xi needed someone he trusted absolutely to run the purge.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Cecilia Vega, the show’s first Latina correspondent, was also fired as part of the recent purge, even though her contract reportedly ran through March 2027.

From Salon • Jun. 1, 2026

“For me, the most important data point was the purge External link of the highest levels of China’s military a couple months ago,” said Arjun Jayaraman, Quantitative Portfolio Manager at Causeway Capital Management.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

But Finnick backed away from the water at first touch and lies facedown on the sand, either unwilling or unable to purge himself.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

• abolish
• absolve
• cleanse
• dismiss
• eradicate
• erase
• exonerate
• expel
• expunge
• exterminate
• forgive
• liquidate
• oust
• prevent
• remove
• wipe out