reform

[ ri-fawrm ]

/ rɪˈfɔrm /

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See synonyms for: reform / re-formed / re-forming / re-forms on Thesaurus.com

noun

the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc.: social reform; spelling reform.

an instance of this.

the amendment of conduct, belief, etc.

verb (used with object)

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)

to abandon evil conduct or error: The drunkard promised to reform.

adjective

(initial capital letter) of, relating to, or characteristic of Reform Jews or Reform Judaism: a Reform rabbi.

OTHER WORDS FOR reform

1 correction, reformation, betterment, amelioration.

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

See synonyms for reform on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR reform

1 deterioration.

See antonyms for reform on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of reform

1300–50; (v.) Middle English reformen<Middle French reformer,Old French <Latin refōrmāre (see re-, form); (noun) partly derivative of the v., partly <French réforme

OTHER WORDS FROM reform

re·form·a·ble, adjectivere·form·a·bil·i·ty, re·form·a·ble·ness, nounre·form·a·tive, adjectivere·form·a·tive·ly, adverb

re·form·a·tive·ness, nounre·form·ing·ly, adverban·ti·re·form, adjectivemis·re·form, verbpre·re·form, adjectivepro·re·form, adjectiveself-re·form, nounsu·per·re·form, noun, verb (used with object)un·re·form·a·ble, adjectiveun·re·form·a·tive, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH reform

re-form, reform

Words nearby reform

reflexology, refluent, reflux, reflux oesophagitis, reforest, reform, reformate, reformation, reformatory, Reform Bill, reformed

Other definitions for reform (2 of 2)

re-form

[ ree-fawrm ]

/ riˈfɔrm /

verb (used with or without object)

to form again.

Origin of re-form

1300–50; Middle English; originally identical with reform

OTHER WORDS FROM re-form

re-for·ma·tion, nounre-former, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH re-form

re-form , reform

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use reform in a sentence

Some lawmakers, including presidential candidate Joe Biden, have suggested that the way forward on police reform is to help improve relations between the community and police by increasing the number of positive interactions between the two groups.
The policing reforms in the Breonna Taylor settlement, explained|Fabiola Cineas|September 17, 2020|Vox
Setting far more fires will require sweeping regulatory reforms to streamline the approvals process.
Suppressing fires has failed. Here’s what California needs to do instead.|James Temple|September 17, 2020|MIT Technology Review
San Diego County also threw its support Tuesday behind a November ballot measure that asks Californians to undo several criminal justice reforms passed by voters over the last decade.
Morning Report: The Dreaded Purple Tier|Voice of San Diego|September 16, 2020|Voice of San Diego
It’s part of American tradition, but we need to get to a suite of solutions to deal with police reform.
Why Jeb Bush Admires Andrew Yang|Nick Fouriezos|September 8, 2020|Ozy

He said he spoke out about it to ProPublica because he opposes Medicare-for-all health care reform proposals.
A Doctor Went to His Own Employer for a COVID-19 Antibody Test. It Cost $10,984.|by Marshall Allen|September 5, 2020|ProPublica
But failing that, he advised pro-immigration reform Republican candidates such as former Gov. Jeb Bush to just skip the state.
Can This Republican Bring the GOP Back to Its Senses on Immigration?|Tim Mak|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There, many minority parents supported Tom Torklarson, who favored the education reform agenda.
How Public Sector Unions Divide the Democrats|Daniel DiSalvo|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was a Republican Congress working with a Democratic president that succeeded in passing the welfare reform bill the first time.
To GOP Congress, as Usual, It’s Welfare on the Chopping Block|Monica Potts|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sometimes politicians oppose reform for nefarious reasons—to protect a special interest or a major donor, for example.
Can the U.S. Government Go Moneyball?|Peter Orszag, Jim Nussle|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sorkin may not have won his fight, ostensibly to reform the news.
'The Newsroom' Ended As It Began: Weird, Controversial, and Noble|Kevin Fallon|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He would impeach all his partners, acknowledge his errors, and promise once more to reform.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
We may apply to it with advantage the spectacles of social reform, but what the socialist offers us is total blindness.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
In its essential nature socialism is nothing but a proposal for certain kinds of economic reform.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
One naturally asks, then, To what extent can social reform penetrate into the ordinary operation of industry itself?
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
The shortening of the general hours of work, then, should be among the primary aims of social reform.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock

British Dictionary definitions for reform (1 of 2)

reform

/ (rɪˈfɔːm) /

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

Derived forms of reform

reformable, adjectivereformative, adjectivereformer, noun

Word Origin for reform

C14: via Old French from Latin reformāre to form again

British Dictionary definitions for reform (2 of 2)

re-form

/ (riːˈfɔːm) /

verb

to form anew

Derived forms of re-form

re-formation, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

reform

OTHER WORDS FOR reform

OPPOSITES FOR reform

Origin of reform

OTHER WORDS FROM reform

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH reform

Words nearby reform

Other definitions for reform (2 of 2)

Origin of re-form

OTHER WORDS FROM re-form

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH re-form

Words related to reform

How to use reform in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for reform (1 of 2)

Derived forms of reform

Word Origin for reform

British Dictionary definitions for reform (2 of 2)

Derived forms of re-form