First published 1889; not yet revised
catharsisnoun
Factsheet
What does the noun catharsis mean?
There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun catharsis. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
catharsis has developed meanings and uses in subjects including
Entry status
OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.
How common is the noun catharsis?
About 0.8occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1800 | 0.074 |
| 1810 | 0.065 |
| 1820 | 0.06 |
| 1830 | 0.043 |
| 1840 | 0.043 |
| 1850 | 0.045 |
| 1860 | 0.054 |
| 1870 | 0.066 |
| 1880 | 0.091 |
| 1890 | 0.14 |
| 1900 | 0.18 |
| 1910 | 0.24 |
| 1920 | 0.34 |
| 1930 | 0.45 |
| 1940 | 0.56 |
| 1950 | 0.7 |
| 1960 | 0.8 |
| 1970 | 0.84 |
| 1980 | 0.83 |
| 1990 | 0.8 |
| 2000 | 0.75 |
| 2010 | 0.72 |
How is the noun catharsis pronounced?
British English
/kəˈθɑːsɪs/
kuh-THAR-siss
U.S. English
/kəˈθɑrsəs/
kuh-THAR-suhss
Where does the noun catharsis come from?
Earliest known use
1800s
The earliest known use of the noun catharsis is in the 1800s.
OED's earliest evidence for catharsis is from 1803, in Medical & Physical Journal.
catharsis is a borrowing from Latin.
Etymons: Latin catharsis.
Nearby entries
- cat-hammed, adj.1695–
- Cathar, n.1637–
- Catharan, n.1573–1656
- Catharinian, n.1657
- Catharism, n.1573–
- Catharist, n.1600–
- Catharite, n.1555
- catharize, v.1832–
- catharm, n.1678
- cat-harrow, n.1529–1721
- catharsis, n.1803–
- cathartic, adj. & n.1639–
- cathartical, adj.1656–
- cathartin, n.1823–
- cat-haul, n.1824–
- cat-haul, v.1840–
- cat-hauling, n.1844–
- Cathay, n.1744–
- Cathayan, n. & adj.?1520–
- cat-head, n.1626–
- cat-head, v.1840–
Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for catharsis, n.
catharsis, n. was first published in 1889; not yet revised
catharsis, n. was last modified in September 2023
Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:
- corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into catharsis, n. in September 2023.
Earlier versions of catharsis, n. were published in:
OED First Edition (1889)
OED Second Edition (1989)
Cite
Chicago
Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “”, . <>
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MLA9
“”. Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, , <>
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