purged; purging
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
purger
noun
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
Rachana Pradhan, CNN Money, 8 July 2025
All 12 seasons and 264 episodes of MSW were purged from Peacock this morning, despite the fact that the series is owned and distributed by Universal Television, sibling studio to the streamer.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 1 July 2025
Jay Weaver
july 14, Miami Herald, 14 July 2025
The firings have sent a chill through the remainder of the DOJ's career workforce, which had previously been left shaken by dramatic purges and reassignments of officials in the early days of Trump's presidency.
—ABC News, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for purge
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
During a May 19 town hall meeting with NIH staff members, Jay Bhattacharya, the institute’s new director, equivocated when asked about funding cuts for research into improving the health of racial and ethnic minorities — cuts made under the guise of purging DEI from the government.
—Rachana Pradhan, CNN Money, 8 July 2025
All 12 seasons and 264 episodes of MSW were purged from Peacock this morning, despite the fact that the series is owned and distributed by Universal Television, sibling studio to the streamer.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 1 July 2025
Noun
The Justice Department’s rolling purges of lawyers and employees who participated in the two federal criminal cases against Trump — which Smith dismissed after Trump won the 2024 presidential election — are expected to continue in Washington and other regions of the country, including Miami.
—Jay Weaver
july 14, Miami Herald, 14 July 2025
The firings have sent a chill through the remainder of the DOJ's career workforce, which had previously been left shaken by dramatic purges and reassignments of officials in the early days of Trump's presidency.
—ABC News, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for purge
Cite this Entry
“Purge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purge. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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 noun1
: an act or instance of purging
2
: something that purges
Medical Definition
purge
1 of 2 verb
purged; purging
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
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
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