| Library / English Dictionary |
PURGATORY
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
(theology) in Roman Catholic theology the place where those who have died in a state of grace undergo limited torment to expiate their sins
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("purgatory" is a kind of...):
fictitious place; imaginary place; mythical place (a place that exists only in imagination; a place said to exist in fictional or religious writings)
Domain category:
divinity; theology (the rational and systematic study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truth)
Derivation:
purgatorial (of or resembling purgatory)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A temporary condition of torment or suffering
Example:
a purgatory of drug abuse
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("purgatory" is a kind of...):
situation (a complex or critical or unusual difficulty)
Derivation:
purgatorial (of or resembling purgatory)
