cathartic

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ca·thar·tic

(kə-thär′tĭk)

adj.

Inducing catharsis; purgative.

An agent for purging the bowels, especially a laxative.

[Late Latin catharticus, from Greek kathartikos, from kathairein, to purge; see catharsis.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

cathartic

(kəˈθɑːtɪk)

adj

1. purgative

2. (Medicine) effecting catharsis. Also: cathartical

(Medicine) a purgative drug or agent

caˈthartically adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ca•thar•tic

(kəˈθɑr tɪk)

adj.

1. of or pertaining to catharsis.

2. Also, ca•thar′ti•cal. evacuating the bowels; purgative.

3. a purgative.

[1605–15; < Late Latin catharticus < Greek kathartikós fit for cleansing]

cathartic

a purgative medicine.

See also: Remedies

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	cathartic - a purging medicine; stimulates evacuation of the bowels aperient, physic, purgative aloes, bitter aloes - a purgative made from the leaves of aloe castor oil - a purgative extracted from the seed of the castor-oil plant; used in paint and varnish as well as medically Epsom salts - (used with a singular noun) hydrated magnesium sulfate used as a laxative laxative - a mild cathartic medicament, medication, medicinal drug, medicine - (medicine) something that treats or prevents or alleviates the symptoms of disease milk of magnesia - purgative consisting of a milky white liquid suspension of magnesium hydroxide; used as a laxative and (in smaller doses) as an antacid Rochelle powder, Seidlitz powder, Seidlitz powders - an effervescing salt containing sodium bicarbonate and Rochelle salt and tartaric acid; used as a cathartic
Adj.	1.	cathartic - emotionally purging psychotherapeutic healthful - conducive to good health of body or mind; "a healthful climate"; "a healthful environment"; "healthful nutrition"; "healthful sleep"; "Dickens's relatively healthful exuberance"
	2.	cathartic - emotionally purging (of e.g. art) releasing artistic creation, artistic production, art - the creation of beautiful or significant things; "art does not need to be innovative to be good"; "I was never any good at art"; "he said that architecture is the art of wasting space beautifully" emotional - of more than usual emotion; "his behavior was highly emotional"
	3.	cathartic - strongly laxative evacuant, purgative laxative - stimulating evacuation of feces

cathartic

adjective

Of, relating to, or tending to eliminate:

eliminative, eliminatory, evacuant, evacuative, excretory, purgative.

Translations

catartico lustrale

cathartic

[kəˈθɑːtɪk]

A. ADJ

1. (Med) → catártico, purgante

2. (fig) → catártico

B. N (Med) → purgante m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

cathartic

[kəˈθɑː^rtɪk] adj [experience, laughter] → cathartique

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

cathartic

adj

(Med) → abführend

(Liter, Philos) → kathartisch

n (Med) → Abführmittel nt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

ca·thar·tic

n. catártico, medicamento con efectos laxativos o purgativos;

a. catártico-a, rel. a la catarsis.

English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

cathartic

adj (psych) catártico; (ant) purgante, laxante; n (ant) purgante m, laxante m

References in classic literature ?

We need books of this tart cathartic virtue more than books of political science or of private economy.

View in context

Mademoiselle Cormon was, without being aware of it, made happier by such little quarrels, which served as cathartics to relieve her bitterness.

View in context

"Having recently come back to my own music, I know how cathartic that experience of reconnection has been, so to support a charity which uses music to connect with people facing so many challenges in life is really important to me."

BOOK IT

Don't get me wrong, I am not mad on the American thing about closure, I don't really close things, but I did find writing the autobiography to be very cathartic. It enabled me to work out a few things that I previously didn't know about.

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Feel the rage of the betrayed with the cathartic power of music from the underground all-female band named Vipera.

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Raw and immersive, it has taken their emotionally cathartic brand of alt-rock to distinct new levels.

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For Taylor Swift, songwriting is a cathartic process that doubles as her 'protective armor.'

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I'm told the upcoming album is an "emotional rollercoaster" which has been a cathartic process for the former One Direction star, 25.

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Asked how cathartic it was for him to make the film and how much of these experiences, of these memories of his, informed who he is today, Cuaron replied, "Well every single memory informs who you are, the step of the past, the butterfly effect, you cannot take a breath without affecting what is going to happen next to you and in many ways the environment around you.

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Doing so proved to be both cathartic and rewarding.

My life's in a charity shop; SAIRA KHAN

They are snapshots of the "Mas," as illustrations of a break in the every day life of Guadeloupeans in which carnival represents for the "group a po" [a type of Guadeloupean carnival band] a cathartic moment and a metaphorical mockery of the society and of local and post-colonial politics.