reformed
adjective
amended by removal of faults, abuses, etc.
Showing results for "reformed"
reformed
American
[ri-fawrmd]
/ rɪˈfɔrmd /
adjective
-
amended by removal of faults, abuses, etc.
-
improved in conduct, morals, etc.
-
(initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to Protestant churches, especially Calvinist as distinguished from Lutheran.
Reformed
British
/ rɪˈfɔːmd /
adjective
-
of or designating a Protestant Church, esp the Calvinist as distinct from the Lutheran
-
of or designating Reform Judaism
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reformed
Explanation
Someone who's reformed is changed in a positive way. A reformed bully has stopped shoving smaller kids around and makes a point of treating everyone kindly. A reformed prison system would be one that has eliminated controversial punishments like solitary confinement, and a reformed group of military rebels might form a peaceful political party. Sometimes you'll see this adjective in a religious context — for example, Calvinism is known as "Reformed Christianity," a reference to the Protestant Reformation. The Latin root, reformare, means "change."
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:
They want France’s university admissions system to be reformed and food in school cafeterias to be improved.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Many of them can be reformed at no cost.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
He declined to rejoin the band when it reformed in 2001.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
Even some Canadian economists and pundits have called for it to be dismantled or reformed.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
They spared those who proved they could be reformed.
From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston
Vermeer was born in Delft amid the Wars of Religion and baptized in the Calvinist Reformed Church.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
"Reformed multilateralism is also the call of the day. In the current environment, there is clearly the imperative of maintaining and enhancing stability in the global economy as well," he added.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2025
Hegseth, as the statement noted, attends a church affiliated with the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, a conservative network of churches founded by Wilson.
From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2025
In circles that emphasize biblical patriarchy, often rooted in the Calvinist or Reformed wing of Christianity, some have suggested that civil government should have no role in consecrating marriage.
From Salon ● May 26, 2024
In 1952, my grandfather, son of a Presbyterian minister and now a Presbyterian minister himself, became the first black minister in the history of the Dutch Reformed Church.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
Definitions 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.
