reformation

noun

ref·​or·​ma·​tion ˌre-fər-ˈmā-shən How to pronounce reformation (audio)
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 adjective

Examples of reformation in a Sentence

the reformation of our justice system
Recent Examples on the Web However, by exposing the tellurite glass to a femtosecond laser, the researchers discovered the glass’s inner structure was broken up into a state that allowed for reformation into new phases of the material. IEEE Spectrum, 12 Feb. 2024 The job is open because Jeff Schroeder, who played with the band from their 2006 reformation all the way through 2023, recently departed the group. Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 17 Jan. 2024 Post reformation, our voices are also becoming bolder – especially the younger filmmakers. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Oct. 2023 George Eliot’s novels are full of personal renunciations and reformations. James Wood, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023 These were Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press, the Lutheran reformation of the Catholic Church, and Copernicus’s overturning of the belief that the Earth stands at the center of the universe. John Banville, WSJ, 25 May 2023 Later that year, Karl was sent away, like Jacques Cousteau before him, to boarding school for reformation. Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 2 June 2023 The disturbances have a 50% chance of reformation in the next two to five days. Joe Mario Pedersen, orlandosentinel.com, 27 Sep. 2021 The topic of election security and potential reformation has become a major political issue at the state and federal level in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, when many Republicans, including Trump, repeatedly questioned the integrity of the results. Mike Brest, Washington Examiner, 9 Mar. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reformation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of reformation was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near reformation

Cite this Entry

“Reformation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reformation. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

reformation

noun
ref·​or·​ma·​tion ˌref-ər-ˈmā-shən How to pronounce reformation (audio)
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 How to pronounce reformation (audio)
-shən-ᵊl
adjective

Legal Definition

reformation

noun
ref·​or·​ma·​tion ˌre-fər-ˈmā-shən How to pronounce reformation (audio)
: 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.

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