reform school

noun

Definition of reform school

: a reformatory for boys or girls

Examples of reform school in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web She was then sent to a Roman Catholic reform school, the House of the Good Shepherd.. — Jacques Kelly, baltimoresun.com, "Billie Holiday biopic debuting Friday chronicles struggles of jazz legend who was raised in Baltimore," 25 Feb. 2021 As a boy growing up in Baltimore, Ruth spoke German, before being sent off as a 7-year-old to reform school. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "Boston has said goodbye to big stars before, none bigger than Babe Ruth," 21 Mar. 2020 The Santa Clarita Diet actress shared that she, too, was taken to a reform school. — Natalie Morin, refinery29.com, "Drew Barrymore & Paris Hilton Bond Over Teenage Trauma In Emotional Interview," 23 Sep. 2020 After municipal authorities try to put him in a remote reform school, Simón, Inés, and David escape Novilla by car. — Christian Lorentzen, Harper's Magazine, "Coetzee’s Radical Masterpiece," 18 Aug. 2020 When the census threatens to expose his flight from reform school, Simón hides him in a cupboard. — Christian Lorentzen, Harper's Magazine, "Coetzee’s Radical Masterpiece," 18 Aug. 2020 Papadaches, who lived in the same building as Kelly, had just been released from reform school, where he had been sent after rolling a drunk. — Gary Kamiya, SFChronicle.com, "‘Terror Bandits’ rock 1926 SF with one of the city’s most horrifying crime sprees," 10 July 2020 Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys, about a reform school in Florida where young Black men are regularly subjected to brutal whippings and other abuses, delivered at the school administrators' whims, with no mercy. — Seija Rankin, EW.com, "What's in a Page: The Flight Portfolio author Julie Orringer writes best at other people's desks," 2 July 2020 His fictional account of the horrific abuse back boys suffered at a juvenile reform school in the Jim Crow-era South was inspired by the real-life and equally horrific Dozier School for Boys. — Carly Mallenbaum, USA TODAY, "Start an online book club: How to pick the right read and host a virtual discussion on Zoom," 29 May 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'reform school.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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6 Mar 2021

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“Reform school.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reform%20school. Accessed 8 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for reform school

reform school

noun

English Language Learners Definition of reform school

US, old-fashioned : a place where young people who have committed crimes are sent to live and be taught to behave in ways that are socially acceptable

See the full definition for reform school in the English Language Learners Dictionary

reform school

noun