noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˌpjʊəɹɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪʃən
CMU ARPABET:P Y UH2 R AH0 F AH0 K EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The act or process of purifying; the removal of impurities.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
air purification
purification of water
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A religious act or rite in which a defiled person is made clean or free from sin.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
purification of the soul
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The pouring of wine into the chalice to rinse it after communion, the wine being then drunk by the priest.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: Christianity
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
the act of purging of sin or guilt; moral or spiritual cleansing
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
purification through repentance
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: purge, purging, purgation
5
noun
Meaning 5
a ceremonial cleansing from defilement or uncleanness by the performance of appropriate rites
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: purgation
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: ceremony
6
noun
Meaning 6
the act of cleaning by getting rid of impurities
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: cleaning, cleansing, cleanup
7
noun
Meaning 7
the process of removing impurities (as from oil or metals or sugar etc.)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: refining, refinement
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: processing
Narrower terms: rectification
History
Etymology
From Old French purificacion, from Latin pūrificātiō.
Across languages
Translations
57 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
تَطْهِير
(taṭhīr)
— act of purifying
Bulgarian:
пречистване
(prečistvane)
— act of purifying
Catalan:
purificació
— act of purifying
Chinese Mandarin:
使純淨 /使纯净
(shǐ chúnjìng)
— act of purifying
Chinese Mandarin:
使潔淨 /使洁净
(shǐ jiéjìng)
— act of purifying
Chinese Mandarin:
純化 /纯化
(chúnhuà)
— act of purifying
Finnish:
puhdistaminen
— act of purifying
Finnish:
puhdistuminen
— act of purifying
Finnish:
puhdistautuminen
— act of purifying
French:
purification
— act of purifying
Galician:
purificación
— act of purifying
German:
Reinigung
— act of purifying
Gothic:
𐌷𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃
(hraineins)
— act of purifying
Greek:
εξαγνισμός
(exagnismós)
— act of purifying
Greek:
κάθαρση
(kátharsi)
— act of purifying
Greek:
καθαρμός
(katharmós)
— act of purifying
Ancient Greek:
κάθαρσις
(kátharsis)
— act of purifying
Hindi:
शोधन
(śodhan)
— act of purifying
Indonesian:
pemurnian
— act of purifying
Indonesian:
purifikasi
— act of purifying
Italian:
purificazione
— act of purifying
Japanese:
浄化
(jōka)
— act of purifying
Korean:
정화
(jeonghwa)
— act of purifying
Malay:
penulenan
— act of purifying
Māori:
whakaparakoretanga
— act of purifying
Māori:
purenga
— act of purifying
Māori:
whakahoromatatanga
— act of purifying
Norwegian Bokmål:
renselse
— act of purifying
Norwegian Bokmål:
rensing
— act of purifying
Norwegian Bokmål:
lutring
— act of purifying
Persian:
خالص سازی
(xâles-sâzi)
— act of purifying
Persian:
تخلیص
(taxlis)
— act of purifying
Persian:
پالایش
(pâlâyeš)
— act of purifying
Persian:
پازش
(pâzeš)
— act of purifying
Polish:
oczyszczenie
— act of purifying
Portuguese:
purificação
— act of purifying
Romanian:
purificare
— act of purifying
Romanian:
curățire
— act of purifying
Russian:
очи́стка
(očístka)
— act of purifying
Russian:
очище́ние
(očiščénije)
— act of purifying
Russian:
пурификация
(purifikacija)
— act of purifying
Spanish:
fundición
— act of purifying
Spanish:
purificación
— act of purifying
Spanish:
limpia
— act of purifying
Swedish:
rening
— act of purifying
Tagalog:
pagtagnas
— act of purifying
Ottoman Turkish:
تصفیه
(tasfiye)
— act of purifying
Galician:
purificación
— religious act or rite where a person is made clean
Gothic:
𐌷𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃
(hraineins)
— religious act or rite where a person is made clean
Ancient Greek:
κάθαρσις
(kátharsis)
— religious act or rite where a person is made clean
Ancient Greek:
ἁγνισμός
(hagnismós)
— religious act or rite where a person is made clean
Hindi:
शुद्धिकरण
(śuddhikraṇ)
— religious act or rite where a person is made clean
Indonesian:
penyucian
— religious act or rite where a person is made clean
Latin:
februum
— religious act or rite where a person is made clean
Māori:
purenga
— religious act or rite where a person is made clean
Middle English:
purgynge
— religious act or rite where a person is made clean
Norwegian Bokmål:
renselse
— religious act or rite where a person is made clean
