reform

American  

[ri-fawrm] / rɪˈfɔrm /

noun

1. the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc..

   social reform; spelling reform.

   Synonyms:

   amelioration, betterment, reformation, correction

   Antonyms:

   deterioration

2. an instance of this.

3. the amendment of conduct, belief, etc.

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verb (used with object)

1. to change to a better state, form, etc.; improve by alteration, substitution, abolition, etc.

   Synonyms:

   restore, repair, ameliorate, emend, amend, correct, rectify, better

2. to cause (a person) to abandon wrong or evil ways of life or conduct.

3. to put an end to (abuses, disorders, etc.).

4. Chemistry. to subject to the process of reforming, as in refining petroleum.

verb (used without object)

1. to abandon evil conduct or error.

   The drunkard promised to reform.

adjective

1. (initial capital letter) of, relating to, or characteristic of Reform Jews or Reform Judaism.

   a Reform rabbi.

reform British  

/ rɪˈfɔːm /

verb

1. (tr) to improve (an existing institution, law, practice, etc) by alteration or correction of abuses

2. to give up or cause to give up a reprehensible habit or immoral way of life

3. 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

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noun

1. an improvement or change for the better, esp as a result of correction of legal or political abuses or malpractices

2. a principle, campaign, or measure aimed at achieving such change

3. improvement of morals or behaviour, esp by giving up some vice

Other Word Forms

• antireform
  adjective
• misreform
  verb
• prereform
  adjective
• proreform
  adjective
• reformability
  noun
• reformable
  adjective
• reformableness
  noun
• reformative
  adjective
• reformatively
  adverb
• reformativeness
  noun
• reformer
  noun
• reformingly
  adverb
• self-reform
  noun
• superreform
  noun
• unreformable
  adjective
• unreformative
  adjective

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.

Example Sentences

"The WHO had to, and was able to, undergo profound reform in the midst of the emergency."

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

It’s critical, Meaney suggested, for city leaders to push for charter reform that puts infrastructure authority under a newly empowered public works director.

From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2026

“Growth-led reform succeeds only where deregulation is paired with sharper accountability, not weaker protection,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

It is what the government is calling "the biggest reform to policing in decades" and would see the creation of a National Police Service, and fewer larger police forces in England and Wales.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

Many of the women knew one another from their earlier women’s rights work, but some were new to reform efforts.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Related Words

• amend
• improve
• rebuild
• rehabilitate
• remake
• renovate
• reorganize
• repair
• resolve
• restore
• revise
• revolutionize
• standardize
• transform