What is a 7 letter word meaning "to purify by affliction"?

The seven-letter word meaning “to purify by affliction” is “chasten.” As a verb, chasten traditionally means to correct, discipline, or refine someone through punishment or hardship. In modern usage, it more often describes a person becoming humbled or less overconfident after a difficult experience.

The word entered English in the Middle English period through Old French chastier, ultimately related to the Latin castigare, meaning to chastise or correct. Its history connects it with ideas of discipline and making something “chaste,” though chasten and chastise are not exact synonyms in every modern sentence. “Chastise” usually means to rebuke or punish, while “chasten” often emphasizes the change produced in the person receiving the lesson.

For example, a team might be chastened by a humiliating defeat, meaning the experience made its members more cautious and humble. The word does not necessarily imply physical punishment; failure, grief, criticism, or other adversity can chasten someone. A common mix-up is “chastened” versus “chaste”: the former means humbled or disciplined, while the latter generally means sexually pure or morally restrained.