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• reformation
  reformation

  noun

  the act of changing to a better state or character, way of operating, lifestyle, etc.; the correction of abuses and bad habits or practices.
• Reformation
  Reformation

  noun

  a religious and political movement of 16th-century Europe that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the establishment of the Protestant Churches

reformation

American  

[ref-er-mey-shuhn] / ˌrɛf ərˈmeɪ ʃən /

noun

reformations plural

1. the act of changing to a better state or character, way of operating, lifestyle, etc.; the correction of abuses and bad habits or practices.

   Last year the team underwent a reformation under the direction of a new head coach.

   The reformation of the justice system in that country is long overdue.

   Synonyms:

   reform, correction, betterment, improvement

2. an improved state or way of functioning that results from the correction of abuses and bad habits or practices.

   The gambler's so-called reformation lasted exactly one month.

3. Church History. the Reformation, the 16th-century movement that began with the objective of correcting theology and practice in the Roman Catholic Church and that ultimately led to the establishment of the Protestant churches.

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Reformation ¹ British  

/ ˌrɛfəˈmeɪʃən /

noun

1. a religious and political movement of 16th-century Europe that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the establishment of the Protestant Churches

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reformation ² British  

/ ˌrɛfəˈmeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of reforming or the state of being reformed

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Reformation Cultural  

1. A religious movement in the sixteenth century that began as an attempted reform of the Roman Catholic Church but resulted in the founding of Protestant church es separate from it. Some of the leaders of the Reformation were Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Knox. The Reformation was established in England after King Henry VIII declared himself head of the Christian Church in that country.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonreformation
  noun
• post-Reformation
  noun
• pre-Reformation
  noun
• self-reformation
  noun
• superreformation
  noun
• nonreformational
  adjective
• prereformation
  adjective
• reformational
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• reformations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of reformation

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English reformacion, from Latin refōrmātiōn-, stem of refōrmātiō, from refōrmāt(us) “reformed” (past participle of refōrmāre “to form again”; see reform) + -iō -ion

Explanation

Reformation means making changes to something with the intention of setting it back on the right path. Your life will be easier after the reformation of the transportation system, when the buses run more frequently. The act or process of changing a religious, political, or societal institution for the better is called a reformation. When capitalized, the Reformation refers specifically to the Protestant Reformation in Europe, which was a religious change instigated in 1517 by Protestants who wished to reform the Catholic Church. The root of reformation is the Latin word reformare, which means to form again or to change.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reformation Reformation reformations

However, the amount of reformation each winter is in decline, as rising temperatures due to climate change disproportionately affect the Arctic.

From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026

Deputy Chief Magistrate Sharon Freund said there was a reformation of the case after two alleged victims withdrew, though there was no explanation as to why they were no longer part of the case.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2025

"Our study shows that spiny mouse macrophages release distinct proteins that are partially responsible for the reformation of specialized tissues at the site of injury and for protecting cells from stress," said Seifert.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 25, 2024

Revive California describes itself as "an association of apostolic leaders uniting to see historic revival and reformation come to California and the United States."

From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2023

The reformation of scales and harmonies that he introduced offered a daringly new palette of aural possibilities.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Reformation said it expects to use proceeds from the IPO to partially repay its debts, as well as to repurchase some shares in a synthetic secondary transaction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

Also, rather than viewing missions as the tail on the dog of imperialism, Mr. Ryrie ties Protestant missions to the Reformation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

Reformation, the fast-growing womenswear retailer popular among celebrities including Taylor Swift, Meghan Markle and Hailey Bieber, is getting ready to go public as soon as this summer, according to people familiar with the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

Wittenberg, better known to many as a cradle of the Protestant Reformation, is also home to a chemical plant founded in 1915, in the midst of World War I.

From Barron's ● May 3, 2026

Following the initial success of the Reformation movement, the Catholic Church was fighting back, notably through the activities of the Jesuits in Austria and the southern German states.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

Ironically, “the” Reformation as the sundering of Christian unity was at least in part the product of prosaic reformations already occurring within the Church.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2020

In Germany and Russia, political reformations of the world were attempted.

From Time Magazine Archive

The annals of all emancipations, revolutions, and reformations are disfigured by this fact.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 15, No. 90, April, 1865 by Various

No such concomitant defect attended the reformations in grammar which, begun by the grammarians of the sixteenth century, were pursued still more systematically by Vaugelas and his followers.

From A Short History of French Literature by Saintsbury, George

The actual church is always falling short of its profession; but its successive reformations witness to the strength of its longing after the beauty of holiness.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 3 "Chitral" to "Cincinnati" by Various

Related Words

• realignment
• renewal
• reorganization
• transformation