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Purgatory vs Limbo - What's the difference?

purgatory | limbo |

As nouns the difference between purgatory and limbo

is that purgatory is in Catholicism, the stage of the afterlife where souls suffer for their sins before they can enter heaven while limbo is the place where innocent souls exist temporarily until they can enter heaven, notably those of the saints who died before the advent of Christ (limbus patruum) and those of unbaptized but innocent children (limbus infantum).

As an adjective purgatory

is tending to cleanse; expiatory.

purgatory

English

(wikipedia purgatory)

Noun

  • (theology) In Catholicism, the stage of the afterlife where souls suffer for their sins before they can enter heaven
  • any situation causing suffering

    • Derived terms

    * purgatorial

    See also

    * heaven * hell * limbo

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Tending to cleanse; expiatory.
    • (Burke)

    limbo

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) .

    Noun

    (wikipedia limbo)
  • The place where innocent souls exist temporarily until they can enter heaven, notably those of the saints who died before the advent of Christ (limbus patruum'') and those of unbaptized but innocent children (''limbus infantum ).
  • Any in-between place, state or condition of neglect or oblivion which results in an unresolved status, delay or deadlock.
    • My application has been stuck in bureaucratic limbo for two weeks.

    See also

    * aftermath * hell * paradise * purgatory

    Etymology 2

    Word of uncertain West Indian (notably Jamaican) origin, probably an alteration of (limber) as it is a physical agility test.

    Noun

    (-)
  • A dance played by taking turns crossing under a horizontal bar or stick. The stick is lowered with each round, and the game is won by the player who passes under the bar in the lowest position.

    • References

    * *

    Anagrams

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