purge

1 of 2

verb

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.

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Verb
These efforts include invalidating mail-in ballots, purging swing state voter rolls, and challenging the votes of Americans and military service members overseas. Jeff Raikes, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024 All 20 have been purged from the rolls and referred for potential prosecution. Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
And what voter roll purges in Virginia mean for voting rights. Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024 The application from Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) asks U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts to grant the stay by Tuesday, the day before a federal judge ordered the Commonwealth to comply with halting the voter purge. Sabrina Moreno, Axios, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for purge 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of purge was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near purge

Cite this Entry

“Purge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purge. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

purge

1 of 2 verb
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
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
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

More from Merriam-Webster on purge

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