Meanings
purgatory1
plural purgatories
- countableuncountableChristianityAlternative letter-case form of Purgatory.
- countableuncountableAny situation where suffering is endured, particularly as part of a process of redemption.
the purgatory of lost love
5 more examples
[…] many Gods breedeth heathens miseries, many countries trauailers humors, many wiues mens purgatories, and many friends trustes ruine:
1605, Nicholas Breton, An Olde Mans Lesson, and a Young Mans Loue, London: Edward WhiteI laid my rank and fortune at the fair one’s feet, and would have married instantly; but that Oldworth opposed my precipitancy, and insisted upon a probation of six months absence—It has been a purgatory!
1774, John Burgoyne, The Maid of the Oaks, London: T. Becket, act I, scene 1, page 6It might be […] that Ruth had worked her way through the deep purgatory of repentance up to something like purity again; God only knew!
1853, Elizabeth Gaskell, chapter 25, in RuthLater came midsummer, with the stifling heat, when the dingy killing beds of Durham’s became a very purgatory; one time, in a single day, three men fell dead from sunstroke.
1904, Upton Sinclair, chapter 10, in The Jungle[…] that would mean he would be irrecoverably Afrikaans and would have to spend years in the purgatory of an Afrikaans boarding-school, as all farm-children do, before he would be allowed to come back to the farm.
1997, J. M. Coetzee, chapter 11, in Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial Life, Penguin, page 100
comparative more purgatory · superlative most purgatory
- Tending to cleanse; expiatory.
This purgatory interval is not unfavourable to a faithless representative, who may be as good a canvasser as he was a bad governor.
1790, Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, London: J. Dodsley, page 2721 more example
Last of all, the prodigie of Siracusa was expiat by a purgatory sacrifice, by direction from the soothsaiers to what gods, supplications and sacrifice should be made.
1600, Philemon Holland, transl., The Roman Historie Written by T. Livius of Padua, London, Book 41, p. 1103
Purgatory2
alternative purgatory
- ChristianityAn intermediate state after death in which some of those ultimately destined for Heaven must first undergo purification.
Synonyms: afterlife
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounAn intermediate state after death in which some of those ultimately destined for Heaven must first undergo purification.
Origin
- Latinpurgātōrium“cleansing”
- Old Frenchpurgatore
- Middle Englishpurgatorie
- Englishpurgatory
From Middle English purgatorie, from Old French purgatore, purgatorie, from Latin purgātōrium (“cleansing”). Cognate to English purge.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek καθαρτήριον
- καθαρτήριον (kathartḗrion)intermediate state after physical death
Arabic مَطْهَر
- مَطْهَر (maṭhar)intermediate state after physical death
Basque garbitoki
- garbitokiintermediate state after physical death
Bulgarian чисти́лище
- чисти́лище (čistílište)intermediate state after physical death
Catalan purgatori
- purgatoriintermediate state after physical death
Chinese Mandarin 煉獄 /炼狱
- 煉獄 /炼狱 (liànyù)intermediate state after physical death
Czech očistec, očistec
- očistecsituation causing suffering
- očistecintermediate state after physical death
Danish skærsild
- skærsildintermediate state after physical death
Dutch vagevuur, vagevuur
- vagevuursituation causing suffering
- vagevuurintermediate state after physical death
- purgatoriumintermediate state after physical death
Esperanto purgatorio
- purgatoriointermediate state after physical death
Estonian puhastustuli, purgatoorium
- puhastustuliintermediate state after physical death
- purgatooriumintermediate state after physical death
Finnish kiirastuli, kiirastuli
- kiirastulisituation causing suffering
- kiirastuliintermediate state after physical death
French purgatoire
- purgatoireintermediate state after physical death
German Purgatorium, Fegefeuer
- Purgatoriumsituation causing suffering
- Fegefeuerintermediate state after physical death
- Fegfeuerintermediate state after physical death
- Purgatoriumintermediate state after physical death
Greek καθαρτήριο
- καθαρτήριο (kathartírio)intermediate state after physical death
Hebrew כור המצרף
- כור המצרףintermediate state after physical death
Hungarian purgatórium, tisztítótűz
- purgatóriumintermediate state after physical death
- tisztítótűzintermediate state after physical death
Icelandic hreinsunareldur
- hreinsunareldurintermediate state after physical death
Indonesian api penyucian, purgatorium
- api penyucianintermediate state after physical death
- purgatoriumintermediate state after physical death
Irish purgadóir, purgadóir
- purgadóirsituation causing suffering
- purgadóirintermediate state after physical death
Italian purgatorio
- purgatoriointermediate state after physical death
Japanese 煉獄
- 煉獄 (rengoku)intermediate state after physical death
Korean 연옥
- 연옥 (yeonok)intermediate state after physical death
Latin purgatorium
- purgatoriumintermediate state after physical death
Lithuanian skaistykla
- skaistyklaintermediate state after physical death
Norwegian skjærsilden, purgatoriet
- skjærsildenintermediate state after physical death
- purgatorietintermediate state after physical death
Persian بَرزَخ
- بَرزَخintermediate state after physical death
Polish katusze, męka
- katuszesituation causing suffering
- mękasituation causing suffering
- czyściecintermediate state after physical death
Portuguese suplício, purgatório
- suplíciosituation causing suffering
- purgatóriointermediate state after physical death
Romanian purgatoriu
- purgatoriuintermediate state after physical death
Russian чисти́лище
- чисти́лище (čistílišče)intermediate state after physical death
Slovak očistec
- očistecintermediate state after physical death
Spanish purgatorio
- purgatoriointermediate state after physical death
Swedish skärselden
- skärseldenintermediate state after physical death
Tagalog purgatoryo
- purgatoryointermediate state after physical death
Turkish araf
- arafintermediate state after physical death
Ukrainian чисти́лище
- чисти́лище (čystýlyšče)intermediate state after physical death
Vietnamese luyện ngục
- luyện ngụcintermediate state after physical death
Welsh purdan
- purdanintermediate state after physical death
Cite this entry
purgatory. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/purgatory
“purgatory.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/purgatory. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “purgatory,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/purgatory.
Source: purgatory on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.