From Middle English purgen, from Old French purgier, from Latin pūrgō (“to make pure, to cleanse”), from pūrus (“clean, pure”) + agō (“to make, to do”).
The slang sense derived via the 2013 film The Purge.
Meanings
An act or instance of purging.
An evacuation of the bowels or the stomach; a defecation or vomiting.
Something which or someone who purges; especially, a medicine that evacuates the intestines; a cathartic.
he prescribes a Purge or a Vomit 1722, John Arbuthnot, Mr. Maitland’s account of inoculating the small-pox:
A forcible removal of people, for example, from political activity.
One of the few surviving Bolsheviks with real power, Mikoyan had been brought to Moscow by Stalin in 1926, had escaped innumerable purges, and had demonstrated an uncanny ability to survive and to associate himself with the right faction at the right time. 1971, Lyndon Johnson, “"I feel like I have already been here a year"”, in The Vantage Point, Holt, Reinhart & Winston, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 24:
Stalin liked to ensure that his purges were irreversible.
An act or instance of the cleansing of pipes.
A red or reddish liquid that seeps out from raw muscular meat consisting mostly of water and protein; "meat juice".
The temporarily worsening of acne due to the introduction of skincare products that increase cell turnover, bringing underlying blemishes to the surface more quickly.
(slang) A period of time in which normal rules supposedly do not apply; especially, a time for violence and gang war.
Instead, One Night Only weirdly plays like lulling government propaganda, a film about sex purge to be released in time for sex purge that says that actually maybe sex purge is a good idea after all. 2026 August 6, Benjamin Lee, “One Night Only review – sex is legal for 12 hours a year in bizarre romcom”, in The Guardian:
"Halloween must remain a celebration, the purge is not a joke, the purge is a threat," Interior Minister Christophe Castaner told reporters on Thursday. 2018 November 1, “French police arrest over 100 after Halloween 'purge' night riots”, in Yahoo! News:
The incident stemmed from a flier that circulated widely among city school students via social media about a “purge” to take place at 3 p.m., starting at Mondawmin Mall and ending downtown. 2015 April 29, Adam Johnson, “Media’s Baltimore ‘Teen Purge’ Narrative Falling Apart”, in FAIR:
ru очище́ние (the act of purging) · bg чи́стка (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · fi puhdistaminen (the act of purging) · be чы́стка (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · es purga (the act of purging) · pt purgar (the act of purging) · ko 숙청 (the act of purging) · tr tehcir (the act of purging) · de Säuberung (the act of purging) · nb utrenskning (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · fr purge (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · sv utrensning (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · nl zuivering (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · tr tahliye (the act of purging) · de Reinigen (the act of purging) · hu purgálás (evacuation of the bowels or of pipes) · nl zuivering (evacuation of the bowels or of pipes) · es purga (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · bg прочистване (evacuation of the bowels or of pipes) · sk čistka (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · el εκκαθάριση (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · it epurazione (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · cs čistka (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · ru очи́стка (the act of purging) · pt purga (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · de Putzen (the act of purging) · fi oksentaminen (evacuation of the bowels or of pipes) · mi whakawāteatanga (the act of purging) · uk чи́стка (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · ru чи́стка (the act of purging) · fr purge (the act of purging) · hu megtisztítás (the act of purging) · fi puhdistus (the act of purging) · hu tisztogatás (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · mi whakawātea (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · fr épuration (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · de Säubern (the act of purging) · tr tenkil (the act of purging) · es purgamiento (the act of purging) · es purgación (the act of purging) · bg очистване (evacuation of the bowels or of pipes) · nb utrenskning (the act of purging) · tr siyasal nedenlerle yer degistirtme (the act of purging) · km វិសុទ្ធកម្ម (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · mk чистка (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · sl čistka (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · da udrensning (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · fr épuration (the act of purging) · ja パージ (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · da rensning (the act of purging) · hu kitisztítás (the act of purging) · ja 粛清 (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · bg пречистване (the act of purging) · hu kiürítés (evacuation of the bowels or of pipes) · nl reiniging (evacuation of the bowels or of pipes) · hu tisztítás (the act of purging) · cmn 清洗 (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · pl czystka (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · sh чи̏стка (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · nl zuivering (the act of purging) · nb utrensking (the act of purging) · ru чи́стка (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · de Säuberung (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · fi puhdistus (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.) · sh čȉstka (forcible removal of undesirable people from political activity, etc.)
From Middle English purgen, from Old French purgier, from Latin pūrgō (“to make pure, to cleanse”), from pūrus (“clean, pure”) + agō (“to make, to do”).
The slang sense derived via the 2013 film The Purge.
Meanings
(transitive) To clean thoroughly; to rid of impurities; to cleanse; to clear of (something unwanted).
After the process, the machine purges the chamber before venting it to remove toxic gases.
(transitive) To remove by cleansing; to wash away.
(transitive) To free from sin, guilt, or burden.
We'll join our cares to purge away / Our country’s crimes. 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act II, scene i, page 29:
Purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 79:9:
(intransitive, transitive) To evacuate (the bowels or the stomach); to defecate or vomit.
(transitive) To cause someone to purge; to operate (on somebody) using a cathartic or emetic, or in a similar manner.
"What did they die of?” I asked. / "Fevers. The doctor came and bled them and purged them, but they still died." / "He bled and purged babies?" / "They were two and three. He said it would break the fever. And it did. But they … they died anyway." 1979, Octavia Butler, Kindred:
(transitive) To forcibly remove, for example, from political activity.
Deng Xiaoping was purged twice during the Cultural Revolution, but managed to return to power after Mao's death.
(transitive) To forcibly remove people by an organization.
Cromwell had Colonel Pride purge Parliament of royalists who opposed Charles I's execution.
Late triumphs of Russian science are scaring the very dogwater out of large elements in our society, and we both fear more "purging" instead of more effort at catching up. 1957 October 20, Roy Bedichek, “to John Henry Faulk”, in Letters of Roy Bedichek, Austin, T.X.: University of Texas Press, published 1985, →ISBN, page 507:
(transitive) To clear of a charge, suspicion, or imputation.
(transitive) To clarify; to clear the dregs from (liquor).
(intransitive) To become pure, as by clarification.
(intransitive) To have or produce frequent evacuations from the intestines, as by means of a cathartic.
(transitive) To trim, dress, or prune.
(transitive) Of topical skincare: to force underlying acne to rise to the surface in response to ingredients that increase cell turnover, causing a temporary increase in blemishes.
Differin is purging my skin.
(intransitive) Of skin: to undergo the process of purging.
bg очиствам (medicine: to void or evacuate; to defecate or vomit) · it purgare (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · la luo (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · fi puhdistaa ((of an organization) to forcibly remove people from) · hu (emetic) hánytat (medicine: to cause someone to purge, operate on (somebody) as or with a cathartic or emetic, or in a similar manner) · de sich übergeben (medicine: to void or evacuate; to defecate or vomit) · de läutern (religion: to free from sin, guilt, or the burden or responsibility of misdeeds) · ga folmhaigh (medicine: to void or evacuate; to defecate or vomit) · pt purgar (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · bg оневинявам (to clear of a charge, suspicion, or imputation) · hu megtisztít (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · da rense (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · de reinigen (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · enm purgen (medicine: to void or evacuate; to defecate or vomit) · de reinwaschen (to clear of a charge, suspicion, or imputation) · bg пречиствам (religion: to free from sin, guilt, or the burden or responsibility of misdeeds) · hu elbocsát ((of a person) to forcibly remove, e.g., from political activity) · nl reinigen (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · pt purgar (to clear of a charge, suspicion, or imputation) · hu tisztáz (to clear of a charge, suspicion, or imputation) · sv rentvå (to clear of a charge, suspicion, or imputation) · bg пречиствам (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · hu felment (to clear of a charge, suspicion, or imputation) · no brekke seg (medicine: to void or evacuate; to defecate or vomit) · hu kiürít (medicine: to void or evacuate; to defecate or vomit) · enm purgen (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · hu tisztogatást végez ((of an organization) to forcibly remove people from) · hu derít (to clarify; to clear the dregs from (liquor)) · hu elüldöz ((of a person) to forcibly remove, e.g., from political activity) · ru очи́стить (religion: to free from sin, guilt, or the burden or responsibility of misdeeds) · de löschen (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · fi puhdistaa ((of a person) to forcibly remove, e.g., from political activity) · de erbrechen (medicine: to void or evacuate; to defecate or vomit) · ru чи́стить (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · pt purgar (medicine: to void or evacuate; to defecate or vomit) · hu kitisztul (to become pure, as by clarification) · nl louteren (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · no rense (religion: to free from sin, guilt, or the burden or responsibility of misdeeds) · txb tälp- (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · fi puhdistaa (religion: to free from sin, guilt, or the burden or responsibility of misdeeds) · it purgare (medicine: to void or evacuate; to defecate or vomit) · ru чистка ((of an organization) to forcibly remove people from) · de läutern (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · fi tyhjentää suolensa (defecate) (medicine: to void or evacuate; to defecate or vomit) · et puhastama (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · nl braken (medicine: to void or evacuate; to defecate or vomit) · de abführen (medicine: to void or evacuate; to defecate or vomit) · ru очища́ть (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · hu tisztogatást végez ((of a person) to forcibly remove, e.g., from political activity) · fi puhdistaa (to clear of a charge, suspicion, or imputation) · es purgar (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · de entschlacken (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · nl overgeven (medicine: to void or evacuate; to defecate or vomit) · hu kitisztít (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · nl louteren (religion: to free from sin, guilt, or the burden or responsibility of misdeeds) · de spülen (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · hu megtisztít ((of an organization) to forcibly remove people from) · fi vapauttaa (to clear of a charge, suspicion, or imputation) · nl zuiveren (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · da rense (to clear of a charge, suspicion, or imputation) · nl uitscheiden (medicine: to void or evacuate; to defecate or vomit) · no rense (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · it purgare (to clear of a charge, suspicion, or imputation) · hu tisztogat ((of a person) to forcibly remove, e.g., from political activity) · enm purgen (to clear of a charge, suspicion, or imputation) · it purgare (religion: to free from sin, guilt, or the burden or responsibility of misdeeds) · de reinwaschen (religion: to free from sin, guilt, or the burden or responsibility of misdeeds) · hu tisztára mos (religion: to free from sin, guilt, or the burden or responsibility of misdeeds) · fr éliminer (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · hu eltávolít ((of a person) to forcibly remove, e.g., from political activity) · hu száműz ((of a person) to forcibly remove, e.g., from political activity) · ru очища́ть (religion: to free from sin, guilt, or the burden or responsibility of misdeeds) · no renvaske (to clear of a charge, suspicion, or imputation) · no kaste opp (medicine: to void or evacuate; to defecate or vomit) · ru очи́стить (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · hu könnyít (religion: to free from sin, guilt, or the burden or responsibility of misdeeds) · et lahtistama (medicine: to void or evacuate; to defecate or vomit) · es porgar (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · pt purgar (religion: to free from sin, guilt, or the burden or responsibility of misdeeds) · de eliminieren (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · de säubern (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · hu megszabadít (religion: to free from sin, guilt, or the burden or responsibility of misdeeds) · fi puhdistaa (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · hu leszűr (to clarify; to clear the dregs from (liquor)) · hu kizár ((of a person) to forcibly remove, e.g., from political activity) · hu megtisztul (to become pure, as by clarification) · hu megtisztít (religion: to free from sin, guilt, or the burden or responsibility of misdeeds) · hu (cathartic) meghajt (medicine: to cause someone to purge, operate on (somebody) as or with a cathartic or emetic, or in a similar manner) · no (defecate) tømme tarmen (medicine: to void or evacuate; to defecate or vomit) · sv rensa (to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities) · enm purgen (religion: to free from sin, guilt, or the burden or responsibility of misdeeds) · fi oksentaa (medicine: to void or evacuate; to defecate or vomit) · hu purgál (medicine: to cause someone to purge, operate on (somebody) as or with a cathartic or emetic, or in a similar manner) · fi päästää (religion: to free from sin, guilt, or the burden or responsibility of misdeeds) · vi thanh trừng ((of a person) to forcibly remove, e.g., from political activity)