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The act of redressing; a making right; reformation; correction; amendment. [R.] Reformation of evil laws is commendable, but for us the more necessary is a speedy redress of ourselves. Hooker.

Amendment of what is defective, vicious, corrupt, or depraved; reformation; as, reform of elections; reform of government. Civil service reform. See under Civil. -- Reform acts (Eng. Politics), acts of Parliament passed in 1832, 1867, 1884, 1885, extending and equalizing popular representation in Parliament. -- Refor…

To affect reformation; to pretend to correctness. [R.]

Tending to produce reformation; reformative.

cellence; said, specifically, of the whole body of Protestant churches originating in the Reformation. Also, in a more restricted sense, of those who separated from Luther on the doctrine of consubstantiation, etc., and carried the Reformation, as they claimed, to a higher point. The Protestant churches founded by them…

One who effects a reformation or amendment; one who labors for, or urges, reform; as, a reformer of manners, or of abuses.

Regulation. [Obs.] The reformation and reglement of usuary. Bacon.

vert from spiritual or common use; as, to secularize a church, or church property. At the Reformation the abbey was secularized. W. Coxe.

ncerns itself with questions of the public health, education, labor, punishment of crime, reformation of criminals, and the like. -- Social whale (Zoöl.), the blackfish. -- The social evil, prostitution.

Of or pertaining to society; social. The all-sweeping besom of societarian reformation. Lamb.

One of an order of Italian monks, established in 1524, expressly to oppose Reformation, and to raise the tone of piety among Roman Catholics. They hold no property, nor do they beg, but depend on what Providence sends. Their chief employment is preaching and giving religious instruction.

Passing through or to the end; hence, complete; perfect; as, a thorough reformation; thorough work; a thorough translator; a thorough poet.

One of the precursors of the Reformation; -- a nickname corresponding to Lollard, etc.

nanimated; as, vapid beer; a vapid speech; a vapid state of the blood. A cheap, bloodless reformation, a guiltless liberty, appear flat and vapid to their taste. Burke. -- Vap"id*ly, adv. -- Vap"id*ness, n.

Liable or subject to be visited or inspected. "All hospitals built since the Reformation are visitable by the king or lord chancellor." Ayliffe.

x; to annoy; to torment; to tease; to fret; to trouble; to plague. "A church worried with reformation." South. Let them rail, And worry one another at their pleasure. Rowe. Worry him out till he gives consent. Swift.