purgatory

noun

pur·​ga·​to·​ry ˈpər-gə-ˌtȯr-ē 

plural purgatories

1

: an intermediate state after death for expiatory purification

specifically : a place or state of punishment wherein according to Roman Catholic doctrine the souls of those who die in God's grace may make satisfaction for past sins and so become fit for heaven

2

: a place or state of temporary suffering or misery

Did you know?

Purgatory is the place where the soul is cleansed of all impurities, as Dante described in his great poem The Divine Comedy. Today purgatory can refer to any place or situation in which suffering and misery are felt to be sharp but temporary. Waiting to hear the results of a test, or whether you got a good job, can be a purgatory. And an endless after-dinner speech can make an entire roomful of people feel as if they're in purgatory.

Examples of purgatory in a Sentence

the purgatory of drug abuse

The marathons were jokingly referred to as one-day purgatories.

Recent Examples on the Web

If there’s a way out of his purgatory, no one can see it, the mounting defeats and shortage of high-end talent obscuring the path ahead. —Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2024

The 27-year-old is stuck in substitution purgatory, waiting and watching Villa achieve new heights. —Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 13 Dec. 2024

This culinary style, so deeply rooted in the history of our city, had been relegated to a kind of purgatory. —Elise Taylor, Vogue, 11 Dec. 2024

Whether these rules get out of purgatory is unknown, particularly as Paul Atkins, President elect Donald Trump’s new appointee to lead the SEC, takes the reins from Gary Gensler. —Laura Clayton McDonnell, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French or Medieval Latin; Anglo-French purgatorie, from Medieval Latin purgatorium, from Late Latin, neuter of purgatorius purging, from Latin purgare

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

purgatory

noun

pur·​ga·​to·​ry ˈpər-gə-ˌtōr-ē 

-ˌtȯr-

plural purgatories

: a state after death in which according to Roman Catholic belief the souls of those who die in God's grace are purified of their sins by suffering