reformed
adjective
amended by removal of faults, abuses, etc.
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:
The university also hired a new provost and new deans and reformed its discipline policies to make them “more consistent, fair and effective,” Garber has said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
A week later, he voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill, which reformed Medicaid.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Even some Canadian economists and pundits have called for it to be dismantled or reformed.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
By 2016, the group reformed as a trio with Bennett, Slayton and new member Jazzy Mejia.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
I wanted to appear reformed, thoughtful, and eager to enter a crimeless future, and I thought my gestures would amplify my argument for release.
From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos
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
The suspect studied at the prestigious California Institute of Technology, and worshipped at the Pasadena United Reformed Church in the Los Angeles area.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026
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
He also joined the associated denomination, the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches.
From Salon ● Dec. 3, 2024
While I was in Schenectady he joined the Dutch Reformed Church, which is a very tough church, indeed.
From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
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.
