- (n.) A natural or artificial purgation of any passage, as of the mouth, bowels, etc.
- (n.) The process of relieving an abnormal excitement by reestablishing the association of the emotion with the memory or idea of the event that first caused it, and of eliminating it by complete expression (called the abreaction).
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). catharsis. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/catharsis/definitions/1985366 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "catharsis" http://smartdefine.org/catharsis/definitions/1985366 (accessed September 21, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, catharsis, Smart Define, viewed 21 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/catharsis/definitions/1985366>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "catharsis" 27 May 2011. Web. 21 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/catharsis/definitions/1985366> |