as in reformative
serving to raise or adjust something to some standard or proper condition
the belief that manual labor was a reformatory experience for convicted felons, who would learn the value of hard work
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in reform school
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reformatory
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
Essence, 13 Feb. 2025
On the cusp of college, he’s instead sentenced to time at a notorious reformatory.
—Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 2 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reformatory
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
James Thompson remembered the words of the state psychologist he was required to visit weekly in Charlotte after being released from the state reformatory.
—Essence, 13 Feb. 2025
On the cusp of college, he’s instead sentenced to time at a notorious reformatory.
—Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 2 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reformatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reformatory
Adjective
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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
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Fifty-five years after Martin Luther King's death, African Americans continue to proudly honor his reformative legacy in Phoenix.—
The Arizona Republic,
The Arizona Republic,
14 Jan. 2024
Noun
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This staggering drama forces the viewer to bear witness to brutal conditions at a corrupt reform school through the eyes of two of its students — literally.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Dec. 2025
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The Netflix drama, directed by Tim Mielants and written by Max Porter, is a reimagining of Porter’s best-selling novel Shy and follows a pivotal day in the life of head teacher Steve (Murphy) and his students at a last-chance reform school.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Employers can regain their PSLF status after completing a corrective action plan or waiting a decade.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
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Each year, the department inspects every cruise ship under its purview and provides a score and corrective report to the cruise line.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Must-visit attractions include the city's gold museum, Museo del Oro Zenú, and Las Bóvedas, where former dungeon cells now hold souvenir shops.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
2 Jan. 2026
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In the eight new episodes, Daphne and Ian will work on pivotal rooms for their businesses including a honeymoon suite in the dove tower, a tea salon, a dungeon tavern and a library, in addition to restoring the chateau’s gatehouse as a residence for Daphne’s granny.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
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But that dream came with challenges, and now a lawsuit against American Airlines and a flight training school.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 Dec. 2025
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McRae attended the training school for the Alberta Ballet company and competed in dance competitions every weekend.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The roots of Soviet and post-Soviet homophobia lie not in religion, but in the legacy of the Soviet gulag—where being homosexual was considered the worst thing that could befall a man.—
Mikhail Zygar,
Vanity Fair,
7 Jan. 2026
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The cast fragmented, with the Byers family and El trying to start over in California while Hopper languished in a tonally dissonant Soviet gulag, as though the Duffers didn’t realize that what people loved most about Stranger Things was its grounding in Hawkins.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
26 Dec. 2025
Noun
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One is a stony oubliette with crystals growing out of the walls.—
Erin Alberty,
Axios,
6 Jan. 2025
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This godown was an oubliette.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harper’s Magazine ,
7 Dec. 2021
Noun
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The Mercedes-Benz cars were rolled out with lane keep and driver assistance features to help drivers stay in their lanes, Kani said.—
Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
5 Jan. 2026
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Best Women’s Shoe Deals Nordstrom’s Half-Yearly Sale is stacked with walk-all-day travel shoes that earn their keep far beyond winter.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reformatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reformatory. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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