re·for·ma·to·ry
ri-ˈfȯr-mə-ˌtȯr-ē 
plural reformatories
: a penal institution to which especially young or first offenders are committed for training and reformation
Synonyms
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
Alex Traub, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024
The dystopian satire follows Frida Liu, who, after leaving her daughter unattended, is forcibly enrolled in a reformatory school for bad moms.
—Ella King, Harper's BAZAAR, 27 Jan. 2023
In 1963, he was sentenced to two years in the reformatory and five years probation for an armed robbery in Kentucky.
—Sarah Nelson, The Courier-Journal, 6 Apr. 2022
Adam Hochschild, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Oct. 2023
But what was once a comfort to him after the loss of his mother has become a window to the truth of what happens at the reformatory.
—Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 22 Sep. 2023
The state took its $76 million reformatory to Grafton, in Lorain County, where its men’s prison remains.
—Kaitlin Durbin, cleveland, 4 Apr. 2022
Starting as a youth, when he was sent to a state reformatory, Mr. Bellecourt amassed a long criminal record.
—Washington Post, 18 Jan. 2022
Yet, many tourists make the hour or so drive to the reformatory when visiting Northeast Ohio.
—Troy L. Smith, cleveland, 12 Oct. 2021
For his transgression, he was forced to spend a year in a reformatory and was banned from returning to Southern California for an additional year.
—New York Times, 11 Feb. 2021
The reformatory has a capacity for around 1,000 inmates.
—Deborah Yetter, The Courier-Journal, 3 Aug. 2020
That was followed by mass testing of all staff and inmates at the reformatory.
—Deborah Yetter, The Courier-Journal, 3 Aug. 2020
Adjective
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
The dystopian satire follows Frida Liu, who, after leaving her daughter unattended, is forcibly enrolled in a reformatory school for bad moms.
—Ella King, Harper's BAZAAR, 27 Jan. 2023
In 1963, he was sentenced to two years in the reformatory and five years probation for an armed robbery in Kentucky.
—Sarah Nelson, The Courier-Journal, 6 Apr. 2022
Noun
And its productions also traveled to prisons, reformatories, settlement houses and psychiatric hospitals.
—Adam Hochschild, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Oct. 2023
But what was once a comfort to him after the loss of his mother has become a window to the truth of what happens at the reformatory.
—Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 22 Sep. 2023
The state took its $76 million reformatory to Grafton, in Lorain County, where its men’s prison remains.
—Kaitlin Durbin, cleveland, 4 Apr. 2022
Starting as a youth, when he was sent to a state reformatory, Mr. Bellecourt amassed a long criminal record.
—Washington Post, 18 Jan. 2022
Yet, many tourists make the hour or so drive to the reformatory when visiting Northeast Ohio.
—Troy L. Smith, cleveland, 12 Oct. 2021
For his transgression, he was forced to spend a year in a reformatory and was banned from returning to Southern California for an additional year.
—New York Times, 11 Feb. 2021
The reformatory has a capacity for around 1,000 inmates.
—Deborah Yetter, The Courier-Journal, 3 Aug. 2020
That was followed by mass testing of all staff and inmates at the reformatory.
—Deborah Yetter, The Courier-Journal, 3 Aug. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reformatory.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near reformatory
Cite this Entry
“Reformatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reformatory. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
reformatory
1 of 2 adjective
re·for·ma·to·ry
ri-ˈfȯr-mə-ˌtōr-ē
-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
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