cathartic

Definition

Purgative; inducing mental or physical catharsis.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from New Latin catharticus, from Ancient Greek καθαρτικός (kathartikós).

Example Sentences

• "Shaving, my favorite activity, is very cathartic."
• ""So, there are real opportunities to create real change with enforcement." Prosser describes how some of that change is also cathartic to those who have been directly affected by incidents on the railway, such as the families who have lost loved ones."
• "For some, Saturday’s protests were cathartic, a show of force and solidarity by progressives who had struggled to pick themselves up from last November’s election defeat."