reform
Americannoun
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the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc..
social reform; spelling reform.
- Synonyms:
- amelioration, betterment, reformation, correction
- Antonyms:
- deterioration
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an instance of this.
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the amendment of conduct, belief, etc.
verb (used with object)
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to change to a better state, form, etc.; improve by alteration, substitution, abolition, etc.
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to cause (a person) to abandon wrong or evil ways of life or conduct.
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to put an end to (abuses, disorders, etc.).
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Chemistry. to subject to the process of reforming, as in refining petroleum.
verb (used without object)
adjective
verb
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(tr) to improve (an existing institution, law, practice, etc) by alteration or correction of abuses
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to give up or cause to give up a reprehensible habit or immoral way of life
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chem to change the molecular structure of (a hydrocarbon) to make it suitable for use as petrol by heat, pressure, and the action of catalysts
noun
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an improvement or change for the better, esp as a result of correction of legal or political abuses or malpractices
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a principle, campaign, or measure aimed at achieving such change
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improvement of morals or behaviour, esp by giving up some vice
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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reformabilitynoun
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reformablenessnoun
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reformativenessnoun
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reformernoun
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self-reformnoun
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superreformnoun
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misreformverb
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antireformadjective
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prereformadjective
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proreformadjective
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reformableadjective
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reformativeadjective
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unreformableadjective
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unreformativeadjective
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reformativelyadverb
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reforminglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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reformsimple
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reformssimple
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have reformedperfect
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has reformedperfect
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am reformingprogressive
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are reformingprogressive
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is reformingprogressive
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have been reformingperfect progressive
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has been reformingperfect progressive
Past
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reformedsimple
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had reformedperfect
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was reformingprogressive
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were reformingprogressive
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had been reformingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of reform
First recorded in 1300–50; (for the verb) Middle English reformen, from Middle French reformer, Old French, from Latin refōrmāre; equivalent to re- + form; noun derivative of the verb
Explanation
When you reform something, you change it for the better. If you're running for President, you might promise to reform government, although it's easier to promise reform than to actually accomplish it. If you take the parts of reform, re- and form, you can see that it means “to shape again.” We often use it to talk about correcting what's wrong in a system, and if you reform something, you make it better and more fair. Juvenile delinquents might be sent to reform school to become better people. Someone fighting alcoholism might try to reform her ways. It's not always about morals: in chemistry, you reform molecules by breaking them apart.
Vocabulary lists containing reform
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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Shape Up: Form
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The Middle East and Central Asia - Introductory
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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.
The BBC receives most of its funding from the £180-a-year TV licence, but the number of households paying has declined in recent years, and the broadcaster is discussing reform of the system with the government.
From BBC • Jul. 8, 2026
During the Progressive Era, when party machine politics dominated, judicial elections were put forward as a reform to promote democratic accountability because they broke up concentrations of power and redistributed it to the people.
From Slate • Jul. 8, 2026
He says there is now broad political support for reform.
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026
In a rare bipartisan victory, Congress in 2018 passed a criminal justice reform law called the First Step Act.
From Slate • Jul. 6, 2026
She announces that while it’s not yet federal law, many states have put police reform measures on their ballots for the upcoming elections.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
