ca·thar·sis

n. pl. ca·thar·ses (-sēz) Medicine Purgation, especially for the digestive system. A purifying or figurative cleansing of the emotions, especially pity and fear, described by Aristotle as an effect of tragic drama on its audience. A release of emotional tension, as after an overwhelming experience, that restores or refreshes the spirit. Psychology A technique used to relieve tension and anxiety by bringing repressed feelings and fears to consciousness. The therapeutic result of this process; abreaction. [New Latin, from Greek katharsis, from kathairein, to purge, from katharos, pure.]