reformation
gb/ɹˌɛfɚmˈeɪʃən/ us/ɹˌɛfɚmˈeɪʃən/
B2
English
~ 9500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
formal
B2
action
1
process of improving a system
The process of changing a system, law, or organization to make it better or fairer.
Usage pattern:
the reformation of [system/organization/law]
Common mistake:
Learners often use "reformation" where native speakers would more naturally say "reform" (e.g., "education reform" is much more common than "education reformation"). Learners also sometimes confuse "reformation" with "formation": "formation" means the creation or shaping of something, not its improvement.
Synonyms
reform (More common and slightly less formal; often preferred in everyday speech for changes to systems or laws.)
|
overhaul (Suggests very large, thorough changes, often more radical than "reformation".)
Antonyms
preservation (Focuses on keeping a system as it is instead of changing it to improve it.)
Collocations
social reformation
|political reformation
|educational reformation
|reformation of the tax system
|reformation of the legal system
|sweeping reformation
Themes
politics
|society
|law
|business
Examples
- Many citizens are demanding the reformation of the electoral system to increase transparency.
- The report recommended a complete reformation of the country’s prison system.
- Without serious reformation of tax laws, inequality will continue to rise.
- The new administration has made legal reformation one of its top priorities.
Learner examples
- People want the reformation of the school system.
- The government talked about the reformation of health care.
- Reformation of the law will take many years.
- The country needs reformation of its police system.
Noun
B2
event
2
16th-century Protestant religious movement
A religious movement in Europe in the 1500s when some Christians broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and started Protestant churches.
Usage pattern:
the Reformation
Common mistake:
Learners often forget to capitalize "Reformation" when it refers to this historical event. They may also say "Reformation" without "the" (e.g., "Reformation changed Europe"), but in this sense it is usually used with "the" as a proper name: "the Reformation".
Synonyms
Protestant Reformation (A more specific name that clearly identifies the movement as Protestant and is common in history writing.)
Antonyms
Counter-Reformation (The movement inside the Roman Catholic Church that reacted against and opposed the Reformation.)
Collocations
the Reformation
|Protestant Reformation
|English Reformation
|Reformation theology
|pre-Reformation Europe
Themes
history
|religion
|politics
Examples
- The Reformation reshaped the religious and political landscape of Europe.
- Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses are often seen as the starting point of the Reformation.
- The Reformation challenged the authority of the pope and the Catholic Church.
- Historians still debate how much the Reformation contributed to the rise of modern nation-states.
Learner examples
- The Reformation started in Europe in the sixteenth century.
- Martin Luther was an important leader in the Reformation.
- Because of the Reformation, many new churches were created.
- We studied the causes of the Reformation in history class.
Noun
formal
C1
action
3
a person’s change to better behavior
When a person who did bad things changes and starts to behave well and follow rules or moral values.
Usage pattern:
the reformation of [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this sense with general social or political change. In this meaning, "reformation" is about a person changing their behavior or morals, not about changing laws or institutions.
Synonyms
rehabilitation (Often used in legal or medical contexts; focuses more on treatment and support than on moral or spiritual change.)
|
reform (Can also refer to personal change, but is more general; "reformation" sounds more formal and often more moral or religious.)
Antonyms
relapse (Describes someone returning to bad behavior after a period of improvement, the opposite of continuing reformation.)
Collocations
complete reformation
|moral reformation
|spiritual reformation
|his reformation
|reformation of character
Themes
psychology
|law
|religion
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- After years in prison, his apparent reformation surprised the entire community.
- The program aims at the reformation of young offenders rather than simply punishing them.
- Her friends doubted the sincerity of his sudden reformation.
- Religious leaders preached the reformation of individual hearts as the first step toward social change.
Learner examples
- The judge hoped for the reformation of the young man.
- Her family did not believe in his reformation.
- The school works for the reformation of troubled students.
- They saw his reformation as a second chance.
Grammar
Dictionary form
reformation
IPA
GB/ɹˌɛfɚmˈeɪʃən/
US/ɹˌɛfɚmˈeɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
re - form - a - tion (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (form)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: reformation
- Plural: reformation, reformations
Word family
Expressions
the Reformation
1/ðə ɹˌɛfɚmˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
name of a major religious movement
The name for the time in the 1500s when many Christians in Europe left the Roman Catholic Church and started Protestant churches.
Examples
- Many European countries were deeply changed by the Reformation.
- Our professor explained how the Reformation affected art and education.
- Calvin was one of the key thinkers of the Reformation.