as in corrective
serving to raise or adjust something to some standard or proper condition
took reformative measures to curb abuses in the state's system of justice
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Recent Examples of reformative
As part of the reformative aims of the convict system, many of these men were incarcerated at Fremantle Prison, trained, and put to work on infrastructure projects such as bridges, roads, and public buildings.
—
Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 7 Aug. 2025
Fifty-five years after Martin Luther King's death, African Americans continue to proudly honor his reformative legacy in Phoenix.
—The Arizona Republic, 14 Jan. 2024
While the idea of hiring actors might raise some eyebrows, acting and artistry can be an important step in the reformative process, and Hemsworth suggested that the actors’ real-life experiences helped shape their on-screen characters.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 5 Dec. 2023
The task won’t be easy: in recent weeks, the Petro government has been plagued by a series of defections and personnel scandals that have blocked the reformative push and exacerbated divisions in the government coalition.
—Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, 24 July 2023
Behind the scenes, though, the bill text began not as a reformative measure, but as a company-friendly statute that would help industry avoid some regulations.
—Neil Bedi, ProPublica, 14 Dec. 2022
The redemptive and reformative power of stories runs through the film, the opening shot of which contains a spare movie set, dominated by scaffolding and a camera track on the floor.
—John Anderson, WSJ, 15 Nov. 2022
Moores positioned himself as the pro-police candidate compared to Stansbury's more reformative stance, reflecting national concerns about policing in the wake of killings of people of color by police and nationwide protests in favor of Black lives.
—Chelsey Cox, USA TODAY, 3 June 2021
The idea, while well-intentioned, appears to be more performative than reformative.
—Ellen McGirt, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2018
Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 7 Aug. 2025
Fifty-five years after Martin Luther King's death, African Americans continue to proudly honor his reformative legacy in Phoenix.
—The Arizona Republic, 14 Jan. 2024
While the idea of hiring actors might raise some eyebrows, acting and artistry can be an important step in the reformative process, and Hemsworth suggested that the actors’ real-life experiences helped shape their on-screen characters.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 5 Dec. 2023
The task won’t be easy: in recent weeks, the Petro government has been plagued by a series of defections and personnel scandals that have blocked the reformative push and exacerbated divisions in the government coalition.
—Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, 24 July 2023
Behind the scenes, though, the bill text began not as a reformative measure, but as a company-friendly statute that would help industry avoid some regulations.
—Neil Bedi, ProPublica, 14 Dec. 2022
The redemptive and reformative power of stories runs through the film, the opening shot of which contains a spare movie set, dominated by scaffolding and a camera track on the floor.
—John Anderson, WSJ, 15 Nov. 2022
Moores positioned himself as the pro-police candidate compared to Stansbury's more reformative stance, reflecting national concerns about policing in the wake of killings of people of color by police and nationwide protests in favor of Black lives.
—Chelsey Cox, USA TODAY, 3 June 2021
The idea, while well-intentioned, appears to be more performative than reformative.
—Ellen McGirt, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reformative
Adjective
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Other issues, such as out-of-school bullying, home insecurity and lack of funds, also may be beyond a teacher’s corrective reach.—
Bruce Plopper,
Washington Post,
10 Feb. 2026
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Tropical hibiscus might only need minor selective or corrective pruning in some years and hard pruning in others.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In the film about two teens in a reformatory school, the camera becomes the point-of-view of a couple of characters, while other characters look directly into the lens.—
Randee Dawn,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Dec. 2024
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While Spanish Catholicism and reformatory Protestantism favored black clothing, much of the Renaissance happened in an explosion of color.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
24 June 2024
Adjective
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The combination of sports and fashion is therefore expected to have a beneficial ripple effect across different industries.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Flowers attract pollinators, many of whom are beneficial insects that deter other pests.—
Peg Aloi,
The Spruce,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reformative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reformative. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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