# cleanse

> English word · Verb · IPA /klɛnz/ · frequency rank #15,586

## Definitions
1. To free from dirt; to clean, to purify.
2. To spiritually purify; to free from guilt or sin; to purge.
3. To remove (something seen as unpleasant) from a person, place, or thing.

## Etymology
From Middle English clensen, from Old English clǣnsian, from Proto-West Germanic *klainisōn, from Proto-West Germanic *klainī (“clean”). Cognate with West Frisian klinzgje (“to clean, cleanse”), archaic Dutch kleinzen (“to clean, purify”), Middle Low German klênsen, kleinsen, clensen (“to purify”).

## Easily confused with
- **clears** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleanse-vs-clears)
- **crease** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleanse-vs-crease)
- **cleats** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleanse-vs-cleats)
- **cleave** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleanse-vs-cleave)
- **cleanup** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleanse-vs-cleanup)
- **cleanser** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleanse-vs-cleanser)
- **clean** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clean-vs-cleanse)
- **cease** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cease-vs-cleanse)
- **clans** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clans-vs-cleanse)
- **clause** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clause-vs-cleanse)
- **cleans** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleans-vs-cleanse)
- **cleaned** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleaned-vs-cleanse)
- **cleaner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleaner-vs-cleanse)
- **cleanly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleanly-vs-cleanse)
- **cleanest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleanest-vs-cleanse)

## Common misspellings (10)
`ccleanse`, `celanse`, `claense`, `cleanes`, `cleannse`, `cleansse`, `cleasne`, `clenase`, `clleanse`, `lceanse`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cleanse