1. a purification ceremony or ritual cleansing, especially in ancient religions
Usage: formal; historical
2. the process of removing people from positions of power due to their past political associations
Usage: political; formal

Examples

• The ancient Romans performed lustration ceremonies to purify their temples.
• The priest conducted a lustration ritual before the sacred festival began.
• After the revolution, the new government began a lustration process to remove former officials.
• The lustration law prevented certain individuals from holding public office.
• Religious lustration involved washing with holy water or other sacred substances.
• The country’s lustration policies were controversial and debated for years.