Meaning & use
reformatory
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An institution, historically for young offenders, designed to reform behavior rather than simply punish.
See it in a sentence
The teenager was sent to a reformatory after a series of minor offenses.
Reformatories in the nineteenth century emphasized education and labor over confinement.
A note on using this word
The term has largely fallen out of official use, replaced by phrases like juvenile detention center, though it persists in historical writing.
Words with a similar meaning
reform school
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. adjective
Intended to bring about reform or improvement.
Lawmakers proposed reformatory measures rather than harsher sentencing.
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