What does "reformer" mean?
One who reforms, or who works for reform.
Reformer
noun
noun ·3 syllables ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One who reforms, or who works for reform.
- Grammar: reformer is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: reformist, abolitionists, activist, activists.
- Useful contrasts: anti revolutionary, cultural-revolutionary, totalitarian.
- Usage evidence: The reformer for whom the world is not good enough finds himself shoulder to shoulder with him that is not good enough for the world.
How to use "reformer"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "reformer" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
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- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
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- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "reformer" in a final draft.
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Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "reformer" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
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3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 One who reforms, or who works for reform.
"Among the frontrunners before the conclave began were Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state; Luis Antonio Tagle, a reformer from the Philippines; Péter Erdő, a traditionalist from Hungary; Robert Sarah, a cardinal from Guinea who criticised Francis’s papacy; and the moderate US cardinal Robert Prevost."
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of reformer (“one involved in the Reformation”). alt-of, historical
- 3 an apparatus that reforms the molecular structure of hydrocarbons to produce richer fuel wordnet
- 4 One who was involved in the Reformation. historical
"[…] for I long to ſee a larke without a creaſt, and would travaile farre to diſcoover a reformer without a fault, […]"
- 5 A member of the Reform movement in 19th-century Canada. Canada, historical
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 a disputant who advocates reform wordnet
- 7 A device which converts hydrocarbons into a hydrogen-rich mixture of gases.
"The fuel reformer works somewhat like catalytic converters in cars. In the gasoline reformer, vaporized gasoline is mixed with steam and air before traveling through a cylinder packed with the new Argonne catalyst. The result is a hydrogen-rich gas that is further processed in subsequent chemical steps and is then fed to the fuel cell."
- 8 A member of the Reform Party of Canada, which existed from 1987 to 2000. Canadian
- 9 A device used to convert petroleum refinery naphthas, typically having low octane ratings, into high-octane liquid products called reformates.
"Deisohexanizer bottoms are routed to the continuous reformer, where the octane of the stream is upgraded chiefly by conversion of naphthenes and paraffins to high octane aromatic compounds."
- 10 A member or supporter of Reform UK. UK
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The reformer for whom the world is not good enough finds himself shoulder to shoulder with him that is not good enough for the world."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "reformer"?
Common synonyms include: reformist, abolitionists, activist, activists, advocate, agent of change.
How do you use "reformer" in a sentence?
The reformer for whom the world is not good enough finds himself shoulder to shoulder with him that is not good enough for the world.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From reform + -er.
Etymology 2
From Reform (Party) + -er.