Cleanse

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /klɛnz/

Definitions

1. To remove dirt, impurities, or unwanted elements from something, either physically or spiritually, in order to make it pure or clean
2. To rid an object or person of impurities or contaminants while simultaneously revitalizing or purifying their essence or spirit
3. To eliminate unwanted materials or influences from a physical entity or spiritual state, facilitating a return to purity or integrity

Etymology: Cleanse is a close relative of "clean," and the two share a stem that goes back to the Germanic languages of the early Middle Ages. Its ancestor in Old English, "clǣnsian," was simply a verb meaning to make clean, built on the adjective "clǣne." The Old English form was later reshaped in Middle English into "clensen," and the familiar modern spelling settled in afterward. The word therefore began as plain physical cleaning, with no spiritual overtones at all. Its closest cousins are still spoken across the North Sea. West Frisian has "klinzgje," and older Dutch had "kleinzen," both meaning to clean or purify. Middle Low German used forms like "klênsen" for the same idea, which shows that the verb was a shared Germanic inheritance rather than something England invented on its own. The sense of spiritual purification came later, as the word was used of religious rites and moral renewal, and the modern pairing of removing impurities with restoring the spirit grew out of that older meaning of making something physically clean.

Synonyms: purify, clean, sanitize, clean out, remove

Antonyms: dirty, pollute, taint, contaminate, soil