Link Centre Dictionary

purgatory

pur·ga·tory

UK/ˈpɜːɡət(ə)ɹi/ US/ˈpɝɡəˌtɔɹi/ fairly common

noun

1.

a temporary condition of torment or suffering

  • “a purgatory of drug abuse”
2.

(theology) in Roman Catholic theology the place where those who have died in a state of grace undergo limited torment to expiate their sins

Origin

From Middle English purgatorie, from Old French purgatore, purgatorie, from Latin purgātōrium (“cleansing”). Cognate to English purge.

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.