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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:

But “El Conde” is more interested in the loss of power, and in the strange, purgatorial existence that awaits its immortal subject years after his presumed death at the age of 91.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2023

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

Their best path out of this purgatorial mediocrity is to be so bad that they are repeatedly drafting in the blue-chip range of the lottery.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 2, 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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