cleanse

[klenz]

See more synonyms for cleanse on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), cleansed, cleans·ing.

to make clean.
to remove by or as if by cleaning: to cleanse sin from the soul.

verb (used without object), cleansed, cleans·ing.

to become clean.

Origin of cleanse

before 900; Middle English clensen, Old English clǣnsian, equivalent to clǣne clean + -si- v. suffix + -an infinitive suffix

Related formscleans·a·ble, adjectivere·cleanse, verb (used with object), re·cleansed, re·cleans·ing.un·cleans·a·ble, adjectiveun·cleansed, adjectivewell-cleansed, adjective

Can be confusedclean cleanse (see synonym study at clean)

Synonym study

1. See clean.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for cleansing

Contemporary Examples

Just this week, in fact, California went through a cleansing of sorts.
Careful What You Wish For: Here’s What California Would Look Like Without Illegal Immigrants
Ruben Navarrette Jr.
September 18, 2014
It was time for the cleansing part of the ceremony and Victoria and I, along with half of the crowd, lined up on facing benches.
Spirit Tripping With Colombian Shamans
Chris Allbritton
August 24, 2014
For them, this is not demolition but reclamation, cleansing the sanctuary that has been profaned by liberals.
The Tea Party Isn’t a Political Movement, It’s a Religious One
Jack Schwartz
July 13, 2014
Would the cleansing operation revive the image of the republic in the midst of fighting?
A Coffin Convoy to Russia
Anna Nemtsova
May 29, 2014
So, cleansing and treating the tongue can help to bring other parts of the body into balance.
Oil Pulling: Miracle Cure or Oily Mess?
DailyBurn
March 28, 2014

Historical Examples

For a moment there were other duties to be attended to, a clearance and cleansing.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
There in front of him, heaving and tumbling, was the sea: a miracle of healing and cleansing.
Changing Winds
St. John G. Ervine
It seemed to her, too, that she would be helping him by cleansing him a little.
The Downfall
Emile Zola
But the old joy, the sense of purity and cleansing, did not come.
The Woman Thou Gavest Me
Hall Caine
She should have left on his face the warm touch of hers and the cleansing of her tears.
The Prisoner
Alice Brown

British Dictionary definitions for cleansing

cleanse

verb (tr)

to remove dirt, filth, etc, from
to remove guilt from
to remove a group of people from (an area) by means of ethnic cleansing

Derived Formscleansable, adjective

Word Origin

Old English clǣnsian; related to Middle Low German klēnsen; see clean

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

Word Origin and History for cleansing

n.

Old English clænsunge "cleansing, purifying, castigation; chastity, purity," verbal noun from the root of cleanse. As a present participle adjective, attested from c.1300.

cleanse

v.

Old English clænsian "to cleanse, purge, purify, chasten, justify," from West Germanic *klainson, from *klainoz (see clean (adj.)). Despite its modern spelling (16c.), it retains its Middle English pronunciation. Related: Cleansed; cleansing.

cleanse

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}cleanse

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for cleansing

Contemporary Examples

Just this week, in fact, California went through a cleansing of sorts.

It was time for the cleansing part of the ceremony and Victoria and I, along with half of the crowd, lined up on facing benches.

For them, this is not demolition but reclamation, cleansing the sanctuary that has been profaned by liberals.

Would the cleansing operation revive the image of the republic in the midst of fighting?

So, cleansing and treating the tongue can help to bring other parts of the body into balance.

Historical Examples

For a moment there were other duties to be attended to, a clearance and cleansing.

There in front of him, heaving and tumbling, was the sea: a miracle of healing and cleansing.

It seemed to her, too, that she would be helping him by cleansing him a little.

But the old joy, the sense of purity and cleansing, did not come.

She should have left on his face the warm touch of hers and the cleansing of her tears.

cleanse

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for cleansing

n.

cleanse

v.

Origin of cleanse