the Reformation
noun
: the 16th-century religious movement that led to the establishment of the Protestant churches
Examples of the Reformation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Aditya said that Indonesian artists have become more open to talking about the country’s history in their work since the Reformation in 1998, when the authoritarian President Suharto resigned from his role.
—
Sara Merican, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2025
The printing press led to the Reformation but also a lot of bloody sectarian warfare.
—Stuart Miller, Orange County Register, 3 Feb. 2025
England’s involvement in the wars of religion following the Reformation, proximity to the continent, and, eventually, management of an overseas empire also made foreign affairs important to the ruling class.
—Frank O. Bowman Iii, Foreign Affairs, 25 Nov. 2019
After the Reformation came along, Marsh said ideas like that were forbidden as superstitious.
—Kaity Kline, NPR, 13 Sep. 2024
Some of the modern world’s foundations may lie in the European Renaissance and the Reformation, but that world did not simply emerge out of whole cloth from Europe.
—Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022
White Christians who spoke the same language, lived cheek by jowl, and mostly watched the same movies and TV shows were not supposed to be willing to kill each other because their ancestors had taken different sides in the Reformation.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 12 Oct. 2023
Before the Reformation, when journeying on foot was England’s most popular expression of spirituality, monks would come to the Shave Cross Inn to have their heads shorn in a gesture of devotion to Saint Wite.
—Catherine Fairweather, Travel + Leisure, 28 Aug. 2023
The ritual of public avowals began in Europe with the Reformation.
—Ian Buruma, Harper's Magazine, 2 June 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sara Merican, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2025
The printing press led to the Reformation but also a lot of bloody sectarian warfare.
—Stuart Miller, Orange County Register, 3 Feb. 2025
England’s involvement in the wars of religion following the Reformation, proximity to the continent, and, eventually, management of an overseas empire also made foreign affairs important to the ruling class.
—Frank O. Bowman Iii, Foreign Affairs, 25 Nov. 2019
After the Reformation came along, Marsh said ideas like that were forbidden as superstitious.
—Kaity Kline, NPR, 13 Sep. 2024
Some of the modern world’s foundations may lie in the European Renaissance and the Reformation, but that world did not simply emerge out of whole cloth from Europe.
—Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022
White Christians who spoke the same language, lived cheek by jowl, and mostly watched the same movies and TV shows were not supposed to be willing to kill each other because their ancestors had taken different sides in the Reformation.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 12 Oct. 2023
Before the Reformation, when journeying on foot was England’s most popular expression of spirituality, monks would come to the Shave Cross Inn to have their heads shorn in a gesture of devotion to Saint Wite.
—Catherine Fairweather, Travel + Leisure, 28 Aug. 2023
The ritual of public avowals began in Europe with the Reformation.
—Ian Buruma, Harper's Magazine, 2 June 2023
Dictionary Entries Near the Reformation
Cite this Entry
“The Reformation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20Reformation. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share