catharsis
/kəˈθɑɹˌsɪs/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.67 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A release of emotional tension after an overwhelming vicarious experience, resulting in the purging or purification of the emotions, as through watching a dramatic production (especially a tragedy).
Countable; Uncountable
noun
A therapeutic technique to relieve tension by reestablishing the association of an emotion with the memory or idea of the event that first caused it, and then eliminating it by complete expression (called the abreaction).
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "True, as the show has entered its later years, there have been more inspired moments of catharsis, but fewer unpredictable arcs and story beats, as a narrative nearing its conclusion is no longer attempting to shock."
- "Saline catharses deplete the system of body fluids and are particularly harmful in pregnancy."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /kəˈθɑɹˌsɪs/
- British English: /kəˈθɑːsɪs/