Reformation

How to spell reformation

11 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce reformation

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does reformation mean?

1. nounThe act or process of changing something so that it functions better or behaves more correctly.

Reformation in a sentence

• The new minister promised a sweeping reformation of the prison system.

• Years of debt led to a complete reformation of the company's finances.

Where does reformation come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin reformare, which combined re- meaning 'again' with formare meaning 'to shape or mould', so the literal idea was to give something a fresh form or to shape it anew. The noun reformatio described the act of restoring or improving something, and it carried a strong sense of repairing a state of decline. English borrowed the word through Old French in the late 1300s, originally in the broad sense of moral or institutional improvement. From the sixteenth century it became famous as the name for the Protestant Reformation, the religious movement that sought to reshape the Western Church. The everyday spelling trap lives in the unstressed middle, where 'for' and the '-ation' ending blur together; keeping the base word 'form' visible inside it is the surest guide.

How the word is built

• re- (again, back)
• form (shape, mould)
• -ation (noun of action)