reform
Americannoun
-
reforms
plural
-
the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc..
social reform; spelling reform.
- Synonyms:
- amelioration, betterment, reformation, correction
- Antonyms:
- deterioration
-
an instance of this.
-
the amendment of conduct, belief, etc.
verb (used with object)
-
reforms,
present (3rd person singular)
-
reformed,
past participle, past
-
reforming
present participle
-
to change to a better state, form, etc.; improve by alteration, substitution, abolition, etc.
-
to cause (a person) to abandon wrong or evil ways of life or conduct.
-
to put an end to (abuses, disorders, etc.).
-
Chemistry. to subject to the process of reforming, as in refining petroleum.
verb (used without object)
-
reforms,
present (3rd person singular)
-
reformed,
past participle, past
-
reforming
present participle
adjective
verb
-
(tr) to improve (an existing institution, law, practice, etc) by alteration or correction of abuses
-
to give up or cause to give up a reprehensible habit or immoral way of life
-
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
-
an improvement or change for the better, esp as a result of correction of legal or political abuses or malpractices
-
a principle, campaign, or measure aimed at achieving such change
-
improvement of morals or behaviour, esp by giving up some vice
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
reformabilitynoun
-
reformablenessnoun
-
reformativenessnoun
-
reformernoun
-
self-reformnoun
-
superreformnoun
-
misreformverb
-
antireformadjective
-
prereformadjective
-
proreformadjective
-
reformableadjective
-
reformativeadjective
-
unreformableadjective
-
unreformativeadjective
-
reformativelyadverb
-
reforminglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
reformsimple
-
reformssimple
-
have reformedperfect
-
has reformedperfect
-
am reformingprogressive
-
are reformingprogressive
-
is reformingprogressive
-
have been reformingperfect progressive
-
has been reformingperfect progressive
Past
-
reformedsimple
-
had reformedperfect
-
was reformingprogressive
-
were reformingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Shape Up: Form
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Middle East and Central Asia - Introductory
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The reform will replace the widespread "6x1" system -- six days of work followed by one day off -- with a five-day week, gradually reducing the maximum working week from 44 to 40 hours.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
Suk’s scholarship focuses on the processes of constitutional amendment and reform and the feminist constitutional movements.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
The government has committed to reform of the scheme that provides financial support for those injured or bereaved by vaccines.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
“It still needs reform, and I’ll fight for that reform as mayor.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
When I first joined the ACLU, no one imagined that the Racial Justice Project would focus its attention on criminal justice reform.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
"That is why country strategies and compacts matter. Roadmaps built around a country's ambitions, the results we are trying to achieve together, and the investments and reforms required to get there," he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
"These are key reasons why many patients often unfortunately face unacceptable delay," he said, calling on the implementation of reforms "as an urgent priority".
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
The U.K. government has implemented a series of reforms to make London a more competitive place to list.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
That means only about 83% of all earnings covered by the program are subject to the payroll tax, compared with 90% in 1983, when the last major reforms to Social Security were passed.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
The countries in the West, particularly the United Kingdom and the United States, wanted to reward Mr. de Klerk for his reforms, believing that this would encourage him to go further.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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
Bonehill-Pine said he reformed his previous views when he learned of the murder of MP Jo Cox, and subsequently undertook a de-radicalisation programme.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
The show became cult viewing in Australia - and the team reformed to tour the country in 2005 - but the BBC never repeated it in the UK, something that annoyed the three performers.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
“He left the village to rid it of its last evil,” Amah continued, “and reformed, lived a life of peace, and then, at last, was a great hero.”
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
With 19 policymakers, it is difficult to make progress given diverse individual perspectives, strongly held views and the challenge of reforming such a complicated beast.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
At present, hydrogen produced through methane-steam reforming costs about $1.50 per kilogram, while green hydrogen costs roughly $5 per kilogram.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026
When former leader Deng Xiaoping toured the U.S. in 1979, eager to bind a reforming China to the West, he famously donned a 10-gallon cowboy hat at a Texas rodeo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
The plans for reforming the shape and size of the health service in Scotland were set out by Swinney in his programme for government speech on Tuesday.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
All around him men were walking silently with their thoughts, reforming their lives, making resolutions.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
