Meaning & use

reprove

verb·Advanced

To express disapproval of someone's behavior, usually gently or formally, in order to correct it.

See it in a sentence

The teacher reproved the students for whispering during the fire drill instructions.

Her father reproved her mildly for leaving the gate open again.

A note on using this word

Reprove is milder and more formal than 'scold'; it often implies correcting behavior out of concern rather than anger.

Words with a similar meaning

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