Standard Lemma guide

reformer

noun · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)mə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: R IH0 F AO1 R M ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One who reforms, or who works for reform.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

One who was involved in the Reformation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: historical

Topics: Christianity

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A device which converts hydrocarbons into a hydrogen-rich mixture of gases.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: chemical engineering; fuel cells; chemical engineering; fuel cells

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A device used to convert petroleum refinery naphthas, typically having low octane ratings, into high-octane liquid products called reformates.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: chemistry, geography, geology, natural-sciences, petrochemistry, petrology, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Alternative letter-case form of reformer (“one involved in the Reformation”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, historical

Topics: Christianity

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A member of the Reform movement in 19th-century Canada.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, historical

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A member of the Reform Party of Canada, which existed from 1987 to 2000.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canadian

Topics: government, politics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A member or supporter of Reform UK.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK

Topics: government, politics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

an apparatus that reforms the molecular structure of hydrocarbons to produce richer fuel

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a catalytic reformer

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: apparatus, setup

10

noun

Meaning 10

a disputant who advocates reform

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: reformist, crusader, social reformer, meliorist

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: disputant, controversialist, eristic

Narrower terms: abolitionist, emancipationist, birth-control campaigner, birth-control reformer, Chartist, civil rights leader, civil rights worker, civil rights activist, demonstrator, protester, dry, prohibitionist, environmentalist, conservationist, feminist, women's rightist, women's liberationist, libber, hippie, hippy, hipster, flower child, insurgent, insurrectionist, freedom fighter, rebel, militant, activist, non-resistant, passive resister, preservationist, Utopian, Comstock, Anthony Comstock, Dix, Dorothea Dix, Dorothea Lynde Dix, Huss, John Huss, Hus, Jan Hus, Owen, Robert Owen, Savonarola, Girolamo Savonarola, Townsend, Francis Everett Townsend, Wilkes, John Wilkes

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English reform Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English reformer From reform + -er.

From Reform (Party) + -er.

Across languages

Translations

41 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مُصْلِح (muṣliḥ) — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Belarusian: рэформа́тар (reformátar) — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Bulgarian: реформа́тор (reformátor) — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Chinese Mandarin: 改革家 (gǎigéjiā) — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Czech: reformátor — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Danish: reformator — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Dutch: hervormer — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Dutch: hervormster — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Finnish: uudistaja — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Georgian: რეფორმატორი (repormaṭori) — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • German: Reformer — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • German: Reformerin — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Irish: leasaitheoir — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Japanese: リフォーマー (rifōmā) — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Japanese: 改革家 (kaikakuka) — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Kazakh: реформалаушы (reformalauşy) — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Kazakh: реформатор (reformator) — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Korean: 개혁가 (gaehyeokga) — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Latin: refōrmātor — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Macedonian: реформа́тор (reformátor) — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Malay: reformis — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Malay: pembaharu — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Manx: aachrootagh — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Norwegian Bokmål: reformator — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: reformator — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Polish: reformator — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Polish: reformatorka — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Russian: реформа́тор (reformátor) — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Scottish Gaelic: ath-leasachair — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Scottish Gaelic: leasachair — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Slovak: reformátor — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Swahili: mwanamageuzi — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Swedish: reformator — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Tagalog: tagamulinyo — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Ukrainian: реформа́тор (reformátor) — one who reforms, or who works for reform
  • Dutch: hervormer — one who was involved in the Reformation
  • German: Reformator — one who was involved in the Reformation
  • German: Reformatorin — one who was involved in the Reformation
  • Hungarian: reformátor — one who was involved in the Reformation
  • Latin: refōrmātor — one who was involved in the Reformation
  • Swedish: reformator — one who was involved in the Reformation
Real reading context

reformer in complete knowledge articles