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:
A week later, he voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill, which reformed Medicaid.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
After splitting up in 2002, the band reformed in 2013 and are still performing.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
By 2016, the group reformed as a trio with Bennett, Slayton and new member Jazzy Mejia.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
The message, which was shown in white writing on a black screen, continued: "Public media now will be reformed so it will be independent and trustworthy. Our news programme is currently suspended. Stay tuned!"
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
The unstructured blobs of irregular galaxies, the arms of spiral galaxies and the torus of ring galaxies exist for only a few frames in the cosmic motion picture, then dissipate, often to be reformed again.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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
According to Historic England, the building was originally constructed as a United Reformed Church by Lockwood and Mawson of Bradford between 1857 and 1859.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2025
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
In 1952, my grandfather, son of a Presbyterian minister and now a Presbyterian minister himself, became the first black minister in the history of the Dutch Reformed Church.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
Definitions 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.
