reformed
adjective
amended by removal of faults, abuses, etc.
reformed
American
[ri-fawrmd]
/ rɪˈfɔrmd /
adjective
-
amended by removal of faults, abuses, etc.
-
improved in conduct, morals, etc.
-
(initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to Protestant churches, especially Calvinist as distinguished from Lutheran.
Reformed
British
/ rɪˈfɔːmd /
adjective
-
of or designating a Protestant Church, esp the Calvinist as distinct from the Lutheran
-
of or designating Reform Judaism
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reformed
Explanation
Someone who's reformed is changed in a positive way. A reformed bully has stopped shoving smaller kids around and makes a point of treating everyone kindly. A reformed prison system would be one that has eliminated controversial punishments like solitary confinement, and a reformed group of military rebels might form a peaceful political party. Sometimes you'll see this adjective in a religious context — for example, Calvinism is known as "Reformed Christianity," a reference to the Protestant Reformation. The Latin root, reformare, means "change."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
They want France’s university admissions system to be reformed and food in school cafeterias to be improved.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Paris will never get its numbers to add up if such an expenditure can’t be debated or reformed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
He declined to rejoin the band when it reformed in 2001.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
Andy Burnham has told the BBC "the NHS will collapse" if social care is not reformed but said he could not put a timeline on changes.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Chamberlain reformed the regiment out in the road.
From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara
In June 1530 Hans Holbein the Younger was rounded up for being a truant from the Reformed Church and its newfangled Eucharist.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
Hegseth, as the statement noted, attends a church affiliated with the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, a conservative network of churches founded by Wilson.
From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2025
He also joined the associated denomination, the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches.
From Salon ● Dec. 3, 2024
Dr James Englinton is a a senior lecturer in Reformed Theology at Edinburgh University and has family from Lewis.
From BBC ● Nov. 16, 2024
Although still within the Holy Roman Empire, he had crossed a significant invisible border, from the northern states where the Reformed Churches held sway to the southern region where the Catholic influence was dominant.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
