purgatorial

adjective

pur·​ga·​to·​ri·​al ˌpər-gə-ˈtȯr-ē-əl How to pronounce purgatorial (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or suggestive of purgatory
2
: cleansing of sin : expiatory

Examples of purgatorial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Mickey is racked with guilt over a fateful childhood mistake, and so his purgatorial existence, in which he is denied the pleasures of life and the closure of death, becomes a demented search for grace. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2025 There is no life or death here for Lynch’s protagonists, only an endless purgatorial loop. Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2025 Those digs notwithstanding, White trains most of his attention on Hollywood’s backstage—those purgatorial offices where decisions get made. Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024 The attempt failed, and since April, Venezuela has remained stuck in a purgatorial stalemate. Michael J. Camilleri, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2019 See All Example Sentences for purgatorial

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of purgatorial was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Purgatorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purgatorial. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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