reformatory

American  

adjective

1. serving or designed to reform: reformatory punishments.

   reformatory lectures;

   reformatory punishments.

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noun

plural

reformatories

1. Also called reform school.  (no longer in official use) a penal institution for reforming young offenders, especially minors.

reformatory British  

/ -trɪ, rɪˈfɔːmətərɪ /

noun

1. Also called: reform school.  (formerly) a place of instruction where young offenders were sent for corrective training Compare approved school

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adjective

1. having the purpose or function of reforming

Other Word Forms

• prereformatory adjective
• pseudoreformatory adjective

Etymology

Origin of reformatory

First recorded in 1580–90 reformatory for def. 1; in 1750–60 reformatory for def. 2; reform ( def. ) + -atory ( def. ).

Example Sentences

"They put me in a reformatory when I was 17."

From BBC

In the film about two teens in a reformatory school, the camera becomes the point-of-view of a couple of characters, while other characters look directly into the lens.

From Los Angeles Times

He ended up getting sent to a borstal, a reformatory for young offenders.

From Salon

One student received clemency and was released a few months after the reformatory closed.

From Seattle Times

This reformatory housed youngsters who had been convicted of theft, truancy or ill-disciplined – the types of children whose parents didn't want to know, outcasts.

From Salon