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

Catharsis comes after Will exits the play: “The clay is cracking and falling off. Finally, when he washes it off, we see him break down for the first time and actually cry.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

Catharsis seems to be in fashion among this spring's new dramas.

From Salon • Jan. 21, 2023

The Catharsis on the Mall begins Friday and continues through Sunday with round-the-clock seminars and performances in tents, stages and camps near the Washington Monument.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 10, 2017

Catharsis on the Mall is scheduled for Veterans Day weekend, Nov. 10-12, but the sculpture would remain in place for up to four months to raise awareness about the Equal Rights Amendment, organizers said.

From New York Times • Oct. 2, 2017

Catharsis could only gather around the theme of love, which, considering that they were strangers trapped in an opera box, was far more uncomfortable than cathartic.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman