katharsis
Definition
Noun 1. Catharsis; purging of emotional tensions: In psychoanalysis, the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions. 2. Purging; cleansing: The purging of the body, especially by the use of a substance (a cathartic) to stimulate evacuation of the bowels.
Usage Examples
- Emotional Release:
- Writing in a journal provided a powerful katharsis for her grief.
- The therapist described the intense crying as a necessary katharsis.
- Physical Purging:
- (Less common in modern usage) The ancient medical text prescribed an herbal mixture for katharsis.
Advanced Usage
- Aristotelian Katharsis: In literary theory, specifically in Aristotle's , "katharsis" refers to the purification or purgation of the emotions (especially pity and fear) through art, particularly tragedy.
- The play's powerful finale aims to achieve a katharsis in the audience.
Variants and Related Words
- Catharsis (noun): The more common modern spelling and form of "katharsis," with identical meanings.
- Cathartic (adjective): Providing psychological or emotional relief through open expression.
- She found the conversation to be a cathartic experience.
- Cathartic (noun): A substance used to stimulate evacuation of the bowels; a purgative.
Synonyms
- Emotional Sense: Purification, purgation, release, cleansing, abreaction.
- Physical Sense: Purging, evacuation, cleansing.
Notes on Usage
"Katharsis" is an alternative (and original Greek) spelling of the more commonly used word catharsis. In contemporary English, "catharsis" is the standard form for both the psychological and, less frequently, the physical meanings. "Katharsis" is often used in academic or historical contexts, particularly when discussing classical Greek philosophy or drama.
Noun
-
(psychoanalysis) purging of emotional tensions
-
purging the body by the use of a cathartic to stimulate evacuation of the bowels
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