To purge means to remove unwanted things completely and often forcefully. When you purge your closet, you get rid of clothes you've outgrown or never wear anymore, clearing out everything you don't need. When a company purges old files from its computers, it deletes them permanently to free up space.

The word carries a sense of thorough cleaning or elimination. You're actually getting rid of things, making them gone completely. A library might purge damaged books from its collection. Your body purges toxins when you're sick. A teacher might purge outdated worksheets from their filing cabinet at the end of the school year.

In history and politics, purge often describes removing people from an organization or government, sometimes through harsh or unfair means. A dictator might purge political opponents from power, forcing them out of their positions. This darker meaning shows how the word suggests something more intense than just gentle tidying up.

As a noun, a purge is the act of purging, or the event itself. When you purge something, you're making a clean break and starting fresh. It's the difference between shoving junk under your bed and actually throwing it away for good.