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

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Reformation ² 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 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

"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

He has said the bill will allow for the reformation of the Stormont Executive.

From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2024

If what you say about Russell Westbrook’s reformation from a “me-first” player to accepting he ain’t what he used to be ability-wise and a willingness to contribute in any way possible, then Hallelujah!

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2023

‘The main Design,’ wrote Hooke in 1665, of his own efforts and those of the Royal Society, was ‘a reformation in Philosophy’.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

That sobering record notwithstanding, Reformation is proof that smaller brands can quickly get a foothold in the world of social media.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Reformation has generated annual net profits since 2018, except in 2020.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Reformation, fashion’s latest initial public offering, is full of buzzwords: Sustainability, data-driven design and fast manufacturing are just a few appearing in its filing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Reformation has faced worries it was growing too much in the past.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Unsurprisingly, church music was a rather more sombre affair, and the ordinary churchgoer prior to the Protestant Reformation is likely to have found singing in church a miserable, largely non- partidpatory activity.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

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

Faith in God has been the great leading thought in the rise of nations—that is, in reformations.

From The Christian Foundation, Or, Scientific and Religious Journal, Volume I, No. 11, November, 1880 by Aaron Walker

The birth-places of the greatest of the world's social, political, and religious reformations have generally been of insignificant and lowly aspect, and apparently under the most inauspicious circumstances for producing any great effect upon mankind.

From Hydesville The Story of the Rochester Knockings, Which Proclaimed the Advent of Modern Spiritualism by Thomas Olman Todd

Philosophers and statesmen believe it to be the work of their own hands; they did not make it, but they have for three hundred years been unmaking it by reformations and revolutions.

From The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 6 (of 12) Dresden Edition?Discussions by Robert Green Ingersoll

Related Words

• realignment
• renewal
• reorganization
• transformation