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cathartic

[ kuh-thahr-tik ]
/ kəˈθɑr tɪk /
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See synonyms for: cathartic / cathartics on Thesaurus.com

adjective
of or relating to catharsis.
Also ca·thar·ti·cal. evacuating the bowels; purgative.
noun
a purgative.
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Origin of cathartic

1605–15; <Late Latin catharticus<Greek kathartikós fit for cleansing. See catharsis, -tic

OTHER WORDS FROM cathartic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cathartic in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cathartic

cathartic
/ (kəˈθɑːtɪk) /

adjective
purgative
effecting catharsis
noun
a purgative drug or agent

Derived forms of cathartic

cathartically, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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