Reform

//ˌɹiːˈfɔɹm// adj, noun, verb

adj, noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The change of something that is defective, broken, inefficient or otherwise negative, in order to correct or improve it countable, uncountable

    "The elections need to undergo a serious reform."

  2. 2
    a political movement/party
  3. 3
    a change for the better as a result of correcting abuses wordnet
  4. 4
    self-improvement in behavior or morals by abandoning some vice wordnet
  5. 5
    a campaign aimed to correct abuses or malpractices wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To put into a new and improved form or condition; to restore to a former good state, or bring from bad to good; to change from worse to better. transitive

    "to reform a profligate man; to reform corrupt manners or morals; to reform a criminal"

  2. 2
    change for the better wordnet
  3. 3
    To return to a good state; to amend or correct one's own character or habits. intransitive

    "It is hoped that many criminals, upon being freed, will eventually reform."

  4. 4
    make changes for improvement in order to remove abuse and injustices wordnet
  5. 5
    To form again or in a new configuration. intransitive, transitive

    "This product contains reformed meat."

Show 4 more definitions
  1. 6
    improve by alteration or correction of errors or defects and put into a better condition wordnet
  2. 7
    break up the molecules of wordnet
  3. 8
    produce by cracking wordnet
  4. 9
    bring, lead, or force to abandon a wrong or evil course of life, conduct, and adopt a right one wordnet
Adjective
  1. 1
    Of Reform Judaism, its tenets, or its adherents. not-comparable

Synonyms

All synonyms
amendmentcorrectionreclaimrectificationrectifyreformation

Example

More examples

"The politician pushed for reform by denouncing the corruption of the government officials."

Etymology

From Middle English reformen, from Old French reformer, from Latin reformo, reformare. As a noun since 1660s, from French réforme.

Related phrases

Counter-Reformeranti-reformmonetary reformreform mathematicsreform schoolspelling reformthought reform

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.