purgatorial

adjective

pur·​ga·​to·​ri·​al ˌpər-gə-ˈtȯr-ē-əl 

1

: of, relating to, or suggestive of purgatory

2

: cleansing of sin : expiatory

Examples of purgatorial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Everyone can relate to a character waiting for a phone call, or a text, that feeling of being stuck in a purgatorial gap that won’t end until the other person has made contact. —Literary Hub, 10 June 2026

There are moments, in director Joe Mantello’s grand and spare production, set in a kind of purgatorial garage, when Lane’s innate funnyman persona casts resonant shadows. —Naveen Kumar, Variety, 10 Apr. 2026

The dark, moody atmosphere and soulful crooning has an air of the purgatorial to it. —Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026

Time may be the currency with which people are required to pay for their crimes, but as this gloomy two-hander confronts at every turn, the purgatorial nature of prison doesn’t excuse convicts from being subjected to its effects. —David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for purgatorial

• arboreal
• armorial
• authorial
• factorial
• manorial
• memorial
• pictorial
• sartorial
• sectorial
• tutorial
• vectorial
• ambassadorial