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catharsis Definition

ca·thar·sis (kə t̸härsis)

noun

  1. purgation, esp. of the bowels
  2. the purifying of the emotions or relieving of emotional tensions, esp. by art; concept applied originally by Aristotle to the effect of tragic drama on the audience
  3. Psychiatry the alleviation of fear, problems, and complexes by bringing them to consciousness or giving them expression

Etymology: ModL < Gr katharsis, purification < kathairein, to purify < katharos, pure

catharsis Synonyms

catharsis

n.

purgation, cleansing, release; see cleaning, purification.

catharsis Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • experience: Once we begin examining ourselves, we will experience catharsis many, many times.
  • provide: The city may be in mourning, but the numerous church services and candlelight vigils help provide some emotional catharsis.
  • achieve: Dante ' s own anger at the darkness of his times here achieves catharsis through Mark's condemnation.
  • find: Finding subversive catharsis, random murder is depicted as not only enjoyable but indispensable for the men's peace of mind.
  • generate: First, the creative experience, when completed, may generate a catharsis.
  • create: It lies in our willingness and capacity to create global catharsis in a creative way, to precipitate change by choice.

Adjective modifier

  • emotional: The city may be in mourning, but the numerous church services and candlelight vigils help provide some emotional catharsis.
  • pure: And h er voice is pure catharsis when she asks: âWhat do I got to do to work it out?
  • social: This begins with a social catharsis and ends in social resentment, and sometimes in social bitterness too.
  • intense: So he wrote ' Thus Spoke Zarathustra ' during a period of intense catharsis, and was afterward engulfed in bitterness.
  • psychological: The diagnosis may produce a psychological catharsis which may benefit the afflicted in relation to the real fear of witchcraft.
  • major: It seems to me that in the first year of living together with her he underwent a major catharsis.

Browse dictionary entries near catharsis

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  1. cathartic
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  10. Catherine de' Medici