Definition of CATHARTIC (original) (raw)
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Catharsis and cathartic both trace to the Greek word kathairein, meaning “to cleanse, purge.” Catharsis entered English as a medical term having to do with purging the body—and especially the bowels—of unwanted material. The adjective cathartic entered English with a meaning descriptive of such a physically cleansing purge. It didn’t take long for people to start using these words figuratively in reference to emotional release and spiritual cleansing.
Examples of cathartic in a Sentence
Adjective
There's something cathartic about a punch in the nose. —
Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated, 28 Jan. 2002 But Vietnam is hard to sell as a tidy, cathartic morality tale of troubled times overcome. —Jennifer Homans, New Republic, 2 & 9 Dec. 2002 Many veterans, at first reluctant to speak, ultimately uncorked their emotions in a cathartic explosion. —Stanley Karnow, New York Times Book Review, 22 Nov. 1992 It provokes no healthy tears, whereas Cervantes never fails … to open the cathartic floodgates. —Anthony Burgess, Homage to Qwert Yuiop: Selected Journalism 1978-1985, 1986
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
By the time Kai Havertz slammed in a cathartic fourth and Ethan Nwaneri added a showstopper of a fifth, Arsenal had reached that rare state of never wanting a big game to end. —Amy Lawrence, The Athletic, 3 Feb. 2025 Only a guttural scream in the song’s last 90 seconds can encapsulate the whirlwind of emotion from this cathartic banger. —Stephen Daw, Billboard, 31 Jan. 2025
Some people find free-writing in a journal cathartic. —Molly Longman, refinery29.com, 11 Jan. 2021 See all Example Sentences for cathartic 
Word History
Etymology
Adjective and Noun
Late Latin or Greek; Late Latin catharticus, from Greek kathartikos, from kathairein — see catharsis
First Known Use
Adjective
1612, in the meaning defined above
Noun
1651, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of cathartic was in 1612
Dictionary Entries Near cathartic
Cite this Entry
“Cathartic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cathartic. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
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Last Updated: 6 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
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