The present invention relates to a method for purifying (meth)acrylic acid obtained by catalytic or redox oxidation of a gaseous substrate constituting propane, propylene, acrolein, isobutane, isobutene, tert-butyl alcohol and/or (meth)acrolein or mixtures thereof by sending the gaseous reaction mixture to the bottom of a countercurrent absorption column (C1) which is supplied at the top with at least one type of hydrophobic heavy solvent, sending the flow (4) from the bottom of column (C1) to a separation column (C2). Column (C1) is operated at a flow rate of heavy solvent of from 3 to 5.6 times the flow rate of the (meth)acrylic acid in the gaseous reaction mixture and the rectifying column used as a separation column (C2) is operated with the feed at the top and without reflux.