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⇱ cathartic - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

cathartic

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/kəˈθɑːrtɪk/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/kəˈθɑrtɪk/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(kə thär′tik)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ca•thar•tic /kəˈθɑrtɪk/USA pronunciation   adj. 
  1. Drugsof or relating to catharsis:After the death of his children he returned to his work and found it cathartic.
  2. Drugscausing the bowels to relax and to empty:cathartic medicine.

n. [countable]
  1. Drugsa strongly laxative medicine.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
ca•thar•tic  (kə thär′tik),USA pronunciation adj. 
  1. of or pertaining to catharsis.
  2. DrugsAlso, ca•thar′ti•cal. evacuating the bowels;
    purgative.

n. 
  1. a purgative.
  • Greek kathartikós fit for cleansing. See catharsis, -tic
  • Late Latin catharticus
  • 1605–15
ca•thar′ti•cal•ly, adv. 
ca•thar′ti•cal•ness, n. 
    3. laxative, physic.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
cathartic /kəˈθɑːtɪk/ adj
  1. purgative
  2. effecting catharsisAlso: cathartical
n
  1. a purgative drug or agent
caˈthartically adv
'cathartic' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
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