reformatory

1 of 2

adjective

re·​for·​ma·​to·​ry ri-ˈfȯr-mə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce reformatory (audio)

reformatory

2 of 2

noun

plural reformatories
: a penal institution to which especially young or first offenders are committed for training and reformation

Examples of reformatory in a Sentence

Adjective the belief that manual labor was a reformatory experience for convicted felons, who would learn the value of hard work
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
While Spanish Catholicism and reformatory Protestantism favored black clothing, much of the Renaissance happened in an explosion of color. JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024 His mother sent him to the Élan School in Maine, a reformatory boarding institution with extreme forms of discipline, including shouting sessions and boxing matches, that attracted widespread criticism and that led to the school’s closing in 2011. Alex Traub, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
On the cusp of college, he’s instead sentenced to time at a notorious reformatory. Zac Ntim, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2024 The two-and-a-half-hour film follows two Black teenagers who become wards of a barbaric juvenile reformatory in Jim Crow-era Florida. Anna Tingley, Variety, 28 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for reformatory 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1589, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1834, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reformatory was in 1589

Dictionary Entries Near reformatory

Cite this Entry

“Reformatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reformatory. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

reformatory

1 of 2 adjective
re·​for·​ma·​to·​ry ri-ˈfȯr-mə-ˌtōr-ē How to pronounce reformatory (audio)
-ˌtȯr-

reformatory

2 of 2 noun
plural reformatories
: an institution for reforming usually young or female criminals or those in jail for the first time

Legal Definition

reformatory

noun
re·​for·​ma·​to·​ry
ri-ˈfȯr-mə-ˌtōr-ē
plural reformatories
: a penal institution to which especially young or first offenders are committed for training and reformation

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