# purge

/ˈpɝdʒ/ (US) · /pˈɜːdʒ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/purge
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to remove political opponents

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to remove people from an organisation or government because you do not want them there anymore.

For teachers: to remove people from an organisation, party, or nation in a sudden or violent manner, typically to eliminate political opposition.

- The new leader decided to purge the party of anyone who disagreed with his ideas.
- Following the failed coup, the regime began to purge the military of high-ranking officers suspected of disloyalty.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'of'.

### 2. to clean or empty out

verb · CEFR B2

to get rid of things that are not pure or not wanted from a place or a system.

For teachers: to rid a system, place, or object of something impure, unwanted, or redundant. Transitive, often taking a direct object.

- You should purge old files from your computer to make it run faster.
- The technician had to purge the air from the hydraulic lines before the brakes would function correctly again.

### 3. to empty the stomach

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to force food out of your body, usually by vomiting, often as part of an eating disorder.

For teachers: to empty the stomach or bowels, often through induced vomiting or the use of laxatives; frequently used in the context of eating disorders.

- The patient was struggling with a cycle of eating too much and then trying to purge.
- Clinical assessments for bulimia nervosa often focus on the frequency with which patients purge after binge-eating episodes.

### 4. a forceful removal

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the act of removing a group of people or things suddenly and forcefully.

For teachers: the sudden and often violent removal of people from an organisation or the systematic elimination of unwanted items.

- The sudden purge of senior staff left the company in a state of confusion.
- Historians often study the Great Purge as a period of extreme political repression and internal terror.

## Examples

- I need to purge my old emails to save space.
- The new manager decided to purge the department of outdated files and inefficient procedures to improve productivity.
- The revolutionary government sought to purge the administration of any officials suspected of remaining loyal to the previous regime, replacing them with trusted party members.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.