- (n.) A state or place of purification after death; according to the Roman Catholic creed, a place or a state believed to exist after death, in which the souls of persons are purified by expiating such offenses committed in this life as do not merit eternal damnation or in which they fully satisfy the justice of God for sins that have been forgiven. After this purgation from the impurities of sin, the souls are believed to be received into heaven.
- (a.) Tending to cleanse; cleansing; expiatory.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). purgatory. Retrieved September 24, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/purgatory/definitions/2051059 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "purgatory" http://smartdefine.org/purgatory/definitions/2051059 (accessed September 24, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, purgatory, Smart Define, viewed 24 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/purgatory/definitions/2051059>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "purgatory" 27 May 2011. Web. 24 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/purgatory/definitions/2051059> |