lustration

Ceremonial purification; especially, a religious act of purgation or cleansing by the use of water or certain sacrifices or ceremonies, or both, performed among the ancients upon persons, armies, cities, localities, animals, etc.

The act of lustrating or purifying.

A sacrifice, or ceremony, by which cities, fields, armies, or people, defiled by crimes, pestilence, or other cause of uncleanness, were purified.

A rite of purification, especially washing.

The restoration of credibility to a government by the purging of perpetrators of crimes committed under an earlier regime.