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purgatorio

purgatory

noun poor-gah-TOH-ryoh Rare

Origin: Medieval Latin purgatorium (place of cleansing)

Usage Note

Purgatorio in Catholic theology is the state of purification after death before heaven. It is also the title of the second canticle of Dante's Divina Commedia. Colloquially, essere in purgatorio can mean to be in a difficult in-between situation.

Examples

"Dante descrisse il Purgatorio come una montagna."

Natural Translation

Dante described Purgatory as a mountain.

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