reformation

noun

ref·​or·​ma·​tion ˌre-fər-ˈmā-shən 

1

: the act of reforming : the state of being reformed

2

capitalized : a 16th century religious movement marked ultimately by rejection or modification of some Roman Catholic doctrine and practice and establishment of the Protestant churches

reformational

ˌre-fər-ˈmā-shnəl 

-shə-nᵊl

adjective

Examples of reformation in a Sentence

the reformation of our justice system

Recent Examples on the Web

Whether that’s the debut of Jacob Fatu, the recent reformation of the OG Bloodline or Punk making a deal with Paul Heyman to help the babyface Bloodline at Survivor Series, the twists just keep on coming. —Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024

Ebenezer is a tough case, and Scrooge comes around by witnessing one moral lesson at a time, and the acting job is to show a kind of accelerating reformation as the spirits do their Christmas night thing. —Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 25 Nov. 2024

His journey of reformation, if successful, could serve as an inspiration for others. —Tio Hardiman, Chicago Tribune, 10 Oct. 2024

The visit was visual proof for Yeltsin that the USSR needed immediate reformation. —Timothy Malcolm, Chron, 15 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing reformation

• self-reformation

Kids Definition

reformation

noun

ref·​or·​ma·​tion ˌref-ər-ˈmā-shən 

1

: the act of reforming : the state of being reformed

2

capitalized : a 16th century series of religious actions which led to establishment of the Protestant churches

reformational

-shnəl 

-shən-ᵊl

adjective

Legal Definition

reformation

noun

ref·​or·​ma·​tion ˌre-fər-ˈmā-shən 

: the act or an instance of reforming

specifically : the equitable remedy of reforming a writing (as a deed or contract) and enforcing it as reformed

Note: Reformation is allowed primarily to correct mistakes such as typographical errors or incorrectly chosen words. Occasionally reformation is permitted in cases of fraud or misrepresentation. Clear and convincing evidence of the mistake and of the intended agreement is usually required; sometimes parol evidence is sufficient to establish the agreement. This remedy is not applicable to wills.