catharsis

English

WOTD – 17 January 2007

Wikipedia

Etymology

From Ancient Greek κάθαρσις (katharsis, “cleansing, purging”), from καθαίρω (kathairō, “I cleanse”). Coined in the dramatic-emotional sense by Aristotle.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /kəˈθɑːsɪs/
• (US) IPA^(key): /kəˈθɑːɹˌsɪs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

catharsis (plural catharses)

1. (drama) 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).
2. Any release of emotional tension to the same effect, more widely.
3. A purification or cleansing, especially emotional.
4. (psychology) A therapeutic technique to relieve tension.
5. (medicine) Purging of the digestive system.

Translations

in drama, a release of emotional tension

• Arabic: تنفيس m (tanfīs)
• Bulgarian: катарзис m (katarzis)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 導瀉, 导泻 (dǎoxiè), 宣洩 (zh), 宣泄 (zh) (xuānxiè)

• Danish: katarsis
• French: catharsis (fr) f
• German: Katharsis (de) f
• Greek: κάθαρση (el) f (kátharsi)

  Ancient: κάθαρσις f (kátharsis)

• Hebrew: קתרזיס (he) m (qatarzis)

• Hungarian: katarzis
• Icelandic: geðhreinsun f
• Japanese: カタルシス (katarushisu)
• Portuguese: catarse (pt) f
• Russian: катарсис (ru) m (katársis, kátarsis)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: катарза f

  Roman: katarza f

• Spanish: catarsis (es) f

any release of emotional tension

• Danish: katarsis
• French: défoulement (fr) m
• German: Katharsis (de) f
• Greek: κάθαρση (el) f (kátharsi)
• Hungarian: katarzis
• Japanese: カタルシス (katarushisu)

• Portuguese: catarse (pt) f
• Russian: катарсис (ru) m (katársis, kátarsis)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: катарза f

  Roman: katarza f

• Spanish: catarsis (es) f

a therapeutic technique to relieve tension

• Czech: katarze f
• French: défoulement (fr) m

• Greek: κάθαρση (el) f (kátharsi)
• Hungarian: katarzis

Related terms

• cathartic

Anagrams

• archaists