antanacathartic
|an-ta-na-ca-thar-tic|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.tə.nə.kəˈθɑr.tɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.tə.nə.kəˈθɑː.tɪk/
against cleansing / preventing release
Etymology
'antanacathartic' is formed in English from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek anti-, meaning 'against') combined with 'cathartic' (from Greek 'katharsis', meaning 'cleansing').
'katharsis' (Greek) entered Latin and then English as 'catharsis' and produced the adjective 'cathartic'; English coinages then added the prefix 'anti-' to form terms meaning 'against catharsis', yielding formations such as 'anti-cathartic' and the rarer 'antanacathartic'.
Originally built from elements meaning 'against cleansing', the term has been used to describe anything that opposes either physical purgation or emotional release; its sense remains close to the original compositional meaning.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
counteracting or preventing catharsis; opposing emotional release or the purgative effect of a cathartic (can be used for psychological or medical contexts).
The counselor described the session as antanacathartic, designed to avoid re‑traumatizing clients by deliberately not provoking an intense emotional purge.
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Adjective 2
in older or medical usage: opposing the action of a cathartic (a drug or treatment that causes purging or laxative effects).
Historical texts described certain compounds as antanacathartic because they reduced the purgative effect of stronger medicines.
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Last updated: 2025/08/20 17:37