reformation (redirected from reformations)

ref·or·ma·tion  (rfr-mshn)

n.

1. The act of reforming or the state of being reformed.

2. Reformation A 16th-century movement in Western Europe that aimed at reforming some doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the establishment of the Protestant churches.

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refor·mation·al adj.

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reformation [ˌrɛfəˈmeɪʃən]

n

the act or an instance of reforming or the state of being reformed

reformational  adj

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Reformation [ˌrɛfəˈmeɪʃən]

n

(Christianity / Protestantism) a religious and political movement of 16th-century Europe that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the establishment of the Protestant Churches

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Reformation

the 16th-century religious movement in Europe that resulted in the formation of Protestantism. — Reformational, adj.

See also: Protestantism

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Reformation 

clean house To purge an organization of corruption and inefficiency; frequently used of government agencies. This expression and its noun form housecleaning have been used figuratively since the early part of this century.

cleanse the Augean stables To wipe out a massive accumulation of corruption, to clean house; to perform any seemingly impossible, arduous, and extremely unpleasant task. According to classical mythology, Augeas, king of Elis, kept three thousand oxen in stables which had not been cleaned for thirty years. As one of the twelve labors for which he was to be granted immortality, Hercules was assigned the task of cleaning them in a single day. This he accomplished by diverting the river Alpheus through the stables. A variant of this expression appeared as early as 1599.

clean up one’s act To make one’s actions or outward behavior more presentable or acceptable to others; to shape up. Although the exact origin of this recent American slang expression is unknown, it may derive from the theater; an entertainer is sometimes told to delete offensive or obscene material from his performance. Similar recent American slang expressions are to get one’s act together and the abbreviated get it together.

have scales fall from one’s eyes See DISILLUSIONMENT.

turn over a new leaf To change one’s ways for the better, to become a new and better person; to start fresh, to wipe the slate clean and begin anew.

I will turn over a new leaf, and write to you. (Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford, 1861)

Literally, this phrase means to turn to a clean, fresh page in a book. Since an open book is often figuratively used to represent a person’s life, turning to a blank page in this book of life symbolizes the start of a new and better chapter in one’s personal history. Use of this expression dates from the 16th century.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	reformation - improvement (or an intended improvement) in the existing form or condition of institutions or practices etc.; intended to make a striking change for the better in social or political or religious affairs melioration, improvement - a condition superior to an earlier condition; "the new school represents a great improvement" counterreformation - a reformation intended to counter the results of a prior reformation
	2.	Reformation - a religious movement of the 16th century that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the creation of Protestant churches Protestant Reformation religious movement - a movement intended to bring about religious reforms
	3.	reformation - rescuing from error and returning to a rightful course; "the reclamation of delinquent children" reclamation deliverance, rescue, saving, delivery - recovery or preservation from loss or danger; "work is the deliverance of mankind"; "a surgeon's job is the saving of lives"

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reformation

noun advancement, change, improvement, betterment, amelioration the reformation of science

Translations

reformation [ˌrefəˈmeɪʃən] N → reformación f
the Reformation (Rel) → la Reforma

Reformation [ˌrɛfə^rˈmeɪʃ^ən] n
the Reformation (of the Church) → la Réforme

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reformation [ˌrɛfə^rˈmeɪʃ^ən] n (= changing, improvement) → réforme f

reformation

n (of person) → Reformierung, Besserung f; the Reformation → die Reformation

Reformation [ˌrɛfəˈmeɪʃ/ən] n (Rel) the Reformation → la Riforma