a change for the better as a result of correcting abuses
"justice was for sale before the reform of the law courts"
a campaign aimed to correct abuses or malpractices
"the reforms he proposed were too radical for the politicians"
self-improvement in behavior or morals by abandoning some vice
"the family rejoiced in the drunkard's reform"
The change of something that is defective, broken, inefficient or otherwise negative, in order to correct or improve it
"The local reform party won the election by promising to clean up corruption in city hall."
a political movement/party
In plain English: A reform is a change made to improve something that isn't working well anymore.
"The recent prison reform has reduced overcrowding in the facility."
make changes for improvement in order to remove abuse and injustices
"reform a political system"
bring, lead, or force to abandon a wrong or evil course of life, conduct, and adopt a right one
"The Church reformed me"
"reform your conduct"
improve by alteration or correction of errors or defects and put into a better condition
"reform the health system in this country"
change for the better
"The lazy student promised to reform"
"the habitual cheater finally saw the light"
To put into a new and improved form or condition; to restore to a former good state, or bring from bad to good; to change from worse to better
"The city council hopes that the proposed budget reforms will finally reform our aging public transit system."
In plain English: To reform means to change something so it becomes better or more correct.
"The government plans to reform the education system to improve student outcomes."
Usage: Use reform as an intransitive verb when describing the process of changing something for the better without specifying who performs the action. When identifying the agent causing that improvement, switch to the transitive form by adding a direct object, such as "reform the system."
Of Reform Judaism, its tenets, or its adherents.
"Many of his ancestors were ardent reformers who believed in adapting Jewish law to modern life while maintaining core spiritual values."
In plain English: Reform describes something that has been changed to make it better or more fair.
"The reform party proposed new laws to change the system."
The word comes from the Latin reformat, meaning "to form again," and entered English via the Old French verb reformier. It began as a verb before becoming a noun in the 1660s to describe an act of making changes for improvement.