catharsis

American  

[kuh-thahr-sis] / kəˈθɑr sɪs /

noun

plural

catharses

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

Example Sentences

That elegant dance matches what we see on stage, the kabuki performances melding melancholy and beauty, anguish and catharsis.

From Los Angeles Times

“We grew up in a radical political tradition of theater, where this is where we can rehearse emotional experience — catharsis,” Blenkarn says.

From Los Angeles Times

Scarlet’s final encounter with Claudius radiates with the complicated poignancy expected of real, difficult catharsis.

From Los Angeles Times

What it says about America: Amid protest and upheaval, America embraced catharsis and connection in its pop music.

From The Wall Street Journal

In “Hamnet,” the staging of “Hamlet” creates a moment of catharsis for everyone assembled inside the Globe.

From The Wall Street Journal