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The meaning of PURGATORY is an intermediate state after death for expiatory purification; specifically : a place or state of punishment wherein according to Roman Catholic doctrine the souls of those who die in God's grace may make satisfaction for past sins and so become fit for heaven.
In the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, the condition of souls of the dead who die with some punishment (though not damnation) due them for their sins. Purgatory is conceived as a condition of suffering and purification that leads to union with God in heaven.
PURGATORY definition: 1. the place to which Roman Catholics believe that the spirits of dead people go and suffer for the…. Learn more.
an extremely unpleasant experience that causes suffering: I've been on a diet for two weeks now, and it's purgatory! SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Religious concepts: Heaven. Elysian. heavenly. high. limbo. on high idiom. paradise. perdition. the pearly gates. Zion.
In Roman Catholic doctrine, souls atoned for past sins in purgatory before entering heaven. In fact, for centuries, purgatory was often regarded as an actual physical place. Today, if you say you are in purgatory, you feel stuck or not able to continue towards a goal.
pur·ga·to·ry. (pûr′gə-tôr′ē) n. pl. pur·ga·to·ries. 1. Roman Catholic Church A state in which the souls of those who have died in grace must expiate their sins. 2. A place or condition of suffering, expiation, or remorse: a purgatory of drug abuse. adj. Tending to cleanse or purge.
noun. /ˈpɜːɡətri/ /ˈpɜːrɡətɔːri/ [uncountable] (usually Purgatory) (in Roman Catholic teaching) a place or state in which the souls of dead people suffer for the bad things they did when they were living, so that they can become pure enough to go to heaven. Want to learn more?
