purification

American  

[pyoor-uh-fi-key-shuhn] / pyʊər ə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of making something pure and free of any contaminating, debasing, or foreign elements.

   We fund groundbreaking development projects like water purification and clean cookstove technology.

2. the act of making something free of guilt or evil.

   Purification of the soul brings freedom from hatred, selfishness, and greed.

3. the act or process of making something clean and fit for ceremonial or ritual use.

   At this early Shinto temple, the ceremonies consisted chiefly of ritual cleansings and purifications.

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Other Word Forms

• nonpurification noun
• repurification noun

Etymology

Origin of purification

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin pūrificātiōn-, stem of pūrificātiō “ritual cleansing”; purify ( def. ), -ation ( def. )

Example Sentences

New fabs under India’s industrial policies will need modern water purification and recycling.

From MarketWatch

Officials reported that about a third of the country remains without electricity or running water due to collapsed power lines and inundated water purification facilities.

From Barron's

The team also demonstrated that the sodium fluoride generated through this method can be used immediately, without additional purification, to synthesize other valuable fluorine-containing compounds used in pharmaceuticals, diagnostic tools, and specialty chemicals.

From Science Daily

The new design takes a different approach by guiding airflow around the user and continuously drawing contaminated particles into a localized purification area.

From Science Daily

The two women move around the room, burning herbs and shaking shamanic rattles while singing and chanting in a purification ritual known as "smudging".

From BBC

Related Words

• distillation