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

• hypercatharsis
  noun

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 leads, with a theatrical turn of events, to epiphany.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2022

Catharsis can heal us when we get hurt, but it can hurt others, too.

From Washington Post • Jan. 25, 2022

Catharsis is a blessing, don’t get me wrong.

From Salon • Sep. 26, 2018

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 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