In ancient Greek drama and philosophy, a cleansing or purification, especially one that is complete or final.
From Greek apo- (complete, away) + katharsis (cleansing, purification). A variant or intensified form of catharsis used in classical literature.
While 'catharsis' became famous through Aristotle's analysis of tragedy, 'apocatharsis' emphasizes complete, absolute cleansing—it suggests not just emotional release but total transformation, a distinction lost when the term faded from use.
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