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Synonyms

reformed

American  
[ri-fawrmd] / rɪˈfɔrmd /

adjective

  1. amended by removal of faults, abuses, etc.

  2. improved in conduct, morals, etc.

  3. (initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to Protestant churches, especially Calvinist as distinguished from Lutheran.


Reformed British  
/ rɪˈfɔːmd /

adjective

  1. of or designating a Protestant Church, esp the Calvinist as distinct from the Lutheran

  2. of or designating Reform Judaism

"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

Other Word Forms

  • pseudoreformed adjective
  • quasi-reformed adjective
  • reformedly adverb
  • unreformed adjective

Etymology

Origin of reformed

First recorded in 1555–65; reform + -ed 2

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."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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.

The first significant launch from the company's reformed Meta Superintelligence Labs group emerged last month with the AI model Muse Spark.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

Dad rocker Phil Collins and reformed Britpop princes Oasis led the 2026 class of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees who were announced on live US television on Monday.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

In the title piece, a reformed bandit is regaled—and possibly lured back to a life of adventuring—by the confessions of a confidence woman.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

It is natural and logical that we would wish for the latter types of regime to be heavily reformed or outright replaced — especially with the local populace leading the way.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

Laika has not reformed from the corpse-addicted dog she has always been.

From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith