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. / kəˈθɑːr.tɪk / Add to word list involving the release of strong emotions through a particular activity or experience: a cathartic experience CATHARTIC definition: of or relating to catharsis. See examples of cathartic used in a sentence.

Context Explanation

His laughter was cathartic, an animal yelp that brought tears to his eyes. Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers Definition of cathartic adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Insight Material

Factsheet What does the word cathartic mean? There are four meanings listed in OED's entry for the word cathartic. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. cathartic, adj. & n.

Final Conclusion

meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English ... Define cathartic. cathartic synonyms, cathartic pronunciation, cathartic translation, English dictionary definition of cathartic. adj. Inducing catharsis; purgative.