reformer

B2 Topic:People & Society

US /rɪˈfɔːrmɚ/ UK /rɪˈfɔːmə/ See IPA manual

Freq #47976

Meanings

1

noun
a person who works to improve or change an institution, law, religion, or society

The prison reformer campaigned for safer conditions and fairer sentencing.
2

noun
industry: equipment that converts hydrocarbons into a different fuel or into hydrogen-rich gas

The refinery installed a catalytic reformer to raise the fuel's octane rating.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a person who works to... reformistcampaigner activist

2 noun · industry: equipment that... catalytic reformer

Opposites

traditionalist reactionary

Word family

Forms reformers

Derived forms antireformercounterreformer

Related forms reform reformationreformistcatalytic reforming

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

social reformer
a person who advocates changes to improve society

Adjective + noun

Etymology

Formed from reform + the agent suffix -er: literally, one or something that reforms. Reform comes through French and Latin reformare, from re- ("again") + formare ("to form"). The industrial sense applies the same idea to rearranging hydrocarbon molecules.

Topics

People & Society

External links

# reformer

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /rɪˈfɔːrmɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /rɪˈfɔːmə/
**Frequency rank:** 47976

## Meanings
1. a person who works to improve or change an institution, law, religion, or society
2. industry: equipment that converts hydrocarbons into a different fuel or into hydrogen-rich gas

## Examples
- The prison reformer campaigned for safer conditions and fairer sentencing.
- The refinery installed a catalytic reformer to raise the fuel's octane rating.

## Synonyms
- reformist
- campaigner
- activist

## Antonyms
- traditionalist
- reactionary

## Derived Forms
- antireformer
- counterreformer

## Related Forms
- reform
- reformation
- reformist
- catalytic reforming

## Etymology
Formed from reform + the agent suffix -er: literally, one or something that reforms. Reform comes through French and Latin reformare, from re- ("again") + formare ("to form"). The industrial sense applies the same idea to rearranging hydrocarbon molecules.

## Topics
- People & Society

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