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purgatorial

American  
[pur-guh-tawr-ee-uhl, -tohr-] / ˌpɜr gəˈtɔr i əl, -ˈtoʊr- /

adjective

  1. removing or purging sin; expiatory.

    purgatorial rites.

  2. of, relating to, or like purgatory.


purgatorial British  
/ ˌpɜːɡəˈtɔːrɪəl /

adjective

  1. serving to purify from sin

  2. of, relating to, or like purgatory

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of purgatorial

First recorded in 1490–1500; purgatory + -al 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

It feels even more pertinent knowing the organization’s purgatorial position in the standings makes the choice on whether to buy, sell or stand pat by the Aug. 1 trade deadline especially daunting.

From Seattle Times Jul. 29, 2023

“The Blinds,” his previous novel, takes place in a purgatorial no-man’s land deep in the heart of Texas inhabited by criminals who have had their memories scrubbed.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 25, 2023

The cinematographer Agnès Godard shoots the wintry Swiss setting in desiccated blue tones, making the empty field between the line and the house look particularly purgatorial.

From New York Times Mar. 30, 2023

It makes total sense that anyone would feel relieved with the death of someone they loved and had a complicated relationship because they're no longer in that purgatorial space with them.

From Salon Aug. 21, 2022

A little later, downstairs in the lobby, which looked like some purgatorial setting, Nazario had assembled most of the tenants.

From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez

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