- (n.) The clearing of one's self from a crime of which one was publicly suspected and accused. It was either canonical, which was prescribed by the canon law, the form whereof used in the spiritual court was, that the person suspected take his oath that he was clear of the matter objected against him, and bring his honest neighbors with him to make oath that they believes he swore truly; or vulgar, which was by fire or water ordeal or by combat. See Ordeal.
- (n.) The act of purging; the act of clearing, cleansing or putifying, by separating and carrying off impurities or whatever is superfluous; the evacuation of the bowels.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). purgation. Retrieved September 25, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/purgation/definitions/2051054 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "purgation" http://smartdefine.org/purgation/definitions/2051054 (accessed September 25, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, purgation, Smart Define, viewed 25 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/purgation/definitions/2051054>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "purgation" 27 May 2011. Web. 25 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/purgation/definitions/2051054> |