Definition of catharsis | Bee Dictionary of English

n (psychoanalysis) purging of emotional tensions
n purging the body by the use of a cathartic to stimulate evacuation of the bowels

People expect many things at the end of a realistic drama, like closure, catharsis and justice. But most playwrights belie people's expectations.
There is no gainsaying that it is better to relieve tension through comedic catharsis than with dramatic catharsis.
Many cynics are asking whether a candlelight vigil can offer catharsis to a nation scarred by mindless violence.

The Purge - Interesting Idea
Admittedly, the satirical premise of this sci/fi horror story is provocative. In 2022, when the unemployment rate is at one percent and the poverty rate below five percent, the US Government under the New Founding Fathers of America has legalized all crime, including homicide, for one 12-hour period a year to serve as a national catharsis for society's knife-wielding, gun-toting maniacs ...
June 10, 2013 - Arizona Reporter
Review: 'The Purge' Takes Look At Class Warfare
The home-invasion thriller comes from the same guy who wrote the slack remake of 'Assault on Precinct 13.' The new thriller imagines a compromised but revitalized American future in which a yearly night of government-sanctioned law-breaking — murder even — gives a brutal-minded national soul therapeutic catharsis. Or, more accurately, it conveniently rids the populace of undesirables who can't ...
June 7, 2013 - Hartford Courant
What Would You Do if ‘The Purge’ Was Real?
What would you do if 'The Purge' were real? Would you keep clear of the madness or take advantage of the opportunity for a catharsis? Discuss your Purge plans with us!
June 7, 2013 - Screen Rant

Barack Obama in Newsday
But Obama said, "I don't think we're looking for catharsis. I think what we're looking for is energy and excitement."
Hillary Rodham Clinton in Washington Post
It's as old as Greek drama,Clinton said. "There's a catharsis. Everybody comes, and they want to yell and scream and have their opportunity, and I think that's all to the good."
Mirek Topolanek in Reuters
The coalition is shaken,Topolanek told the daily Mlada Fronta Dnes. "If there is not a catharsis that would lead to the confirmation of a majority this summer, then autumn could mean the fall of the government."