/ kəˈθɑːsɪs; NAmE -ˈθɑːrs-/ noun
[ U , C ] ( pl. catharses / -siːz; NAmE /) ( technical ) the process of releasing strong feelings, for example through plays or other artistic activities, as a way of providing relief from anger, suffering, etc.
► cath·ar·tic / kəˈθɑːtɪk; NAmE -ˈθɑːrt-/ adjective :
It was a cathartic experience.
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WORD ORIGIN
early 19th cent. in the sense purification: from Greek katharsis , from kathairein cleanse, from katharos pure. The notion of “release” through drama derives from Aristotle's Poetics .