purge

1 of 2

verb

ˈpərj 

purged; purging

transitive verb

1

a

: to clear of guilt

b

: to free from moral or ceremonial defilement

2

a

: to cause evacuation from

purge the bowels

b(1)

: to make free of something unwanted

purge a manhole of gas

purge yourself of fear

(2)

: to free (something, such as a boiler) of sediment or relieve (something, such as a steam pipe) of trapped air by bleeding

c(1)

: to rid (a nation, a political party, etc.) by a purge

(2)

: to get rid of

the leaders had been purged

intransitive verb

1

: to become purged

2

: to have or produce frequent evacuations

3

: to cause purgation

purger noun

purge

2 of 2

noun

1

: something that purges

especially : purgative

2

a

: an act or instance of purging

b

: the removal of elements or members regarded as undesirable and especially as treacherous or disloyal

Did you know?

In some cultures, a ritual bath or prayer is performed to purge guilt or evil spirits. The Minoans of ancient Crete may have used human sacrifice as a way of purging the entire community, which is fine for the community but rough on the victims. In many cultures, people periodically purge themselves physically—that is, clean out their digestive tracts—by taking strong laxatives; this used to be a popular springtime ritual, and herbal purgatives were readily available.

Synonyms of purge

Verb

• restore
• cleanse
• purify
• heal

Examples of purge in a Sentence

Verb

High-ranking officials were purged from the company following the merger.

a day on which the faithful are expected to purge themselves of their sins through prayer and fasting

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Wang and his colleagues purged 382 isoleucine residues from ribosomal proteins, but the rest of its genome still contains more than 81,000 isoleucine residues across thousands of other proteins. —Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2026

The administration has provided no explanation for purging the board, which helps steer the National Science Foundation and acts as an independent advisory body for the president and Congress on scientific and engineering issues, providing reports throughout the year. —Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2026

Noun

But Xi has also conducted a huge military purge. —Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2026

One survivor of the US-Israeli purge of Iran’s political and military leadership was Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the country’s long-serving parliament speaker, who led the first round of negotiations with the US in Islamabad. —Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French purger, from Latin purigare, purgare to purify, purge, from purus pure + -igare (akin to agere to drive, do) — more at act

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing purge

• binge and purge
• purge oneself

Rhymes for purge

• dirge
• merge
• scourge
• serge
• splurge
• spurge
• sturge
• surge
• urge
• verge
• converge
• diverge

Kids Definition

purge

1 of 2 verb

ˈpərj 

purged; purging

1

: to make clean

2

: to have or cause strong and usually repeated emptying of the bowels

purge

2 of 2 noun

1

: an act or instance of purging

2

: something that purges

Medical Definition

purge

1 of 2 verb

ˈpərj 

purged; purging

transitive verb

1

: to cause evacuation from (as the bowels) or of or from the bowels of

drugs that purge the bowels

purged the patient with a cathartic

2

: to free (itself) of suspended matter usually by sedimentation

—used of a liquid

intransitive verb

1

: to become purged

2

: to have or produce frequent evacuations

3

: to cause purgation

purge

2 of 2 noun

1

: something that purges

especially : purgative

2

: an act or instance of purging

Legal Definition

purge

transitive verb

ˈpərj 

purged; purging

1

: to clear (as oneself or another) of guilt

purged himself of contempt

2

: to become no longer guilty of

purge the contempt