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

Verb

• cleanse
• purify
• sanctify

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

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth purged some of Colby’s allies in a complicated internal political spat in April, and the person directly involved in some of the internal arguments said Hegseth tends to side with Kurilla in the arguments over the Middle East. —Ben Smith, semafor.com, 14 June 2025

Where companies once stored every piece of data indefinitely, there's now a clear need to purge outdated or irrelevant information. —Rajnish Nath, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025

Noun

The sisters’ father and brother were both executed by the Bolsheviks as part of the party’s purge of the Romanov dynasty. —Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 June 2025

The purge was a decisive step by Bukele to centralize power. —T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 12 June 2025

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