reform
[noun]
Synonyms:
- improvement, amendment, betterment, rehabilitation
[verb]
Synonyms:
- improve, amend, correct, mend, rectify, restore
- mend one's ways, clean up one's act (informal), go straight (informal), pull one's socks up (Brit. informal), shape up (informal), turn over a new leaf

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English Thesaurus: change, alter, adapt, adjust, modify, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. re‧form¹ /rɪˈfɔːm $ -ɔːrm/ verb
[Word Family: noun: form, formation, transformation, reformer, reform, reformation, reformist, transformer, formlessness; verb: form, reform, transform; adjective: reformed, reformist, formless; adverb: formlessly]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: reformer, from Latin reformare, from formare 'to form']

1. [transitive] to improve a system, law, organization etc by making a lot of changes to it, so that it operates in a fairer or more effective way:
plans to radically reform the tax system

2. [intransitive and transitive] to change your behaviour and become a better person, or to make someone do this:
Greeley says he’s a genuinely reformed character.
a reformed criminal

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. reform² W2 noun [uncountable and countable]
[Word Family: noun: form, formation, transformation, reformer, reform, reformation, reformist, transformer, formlessness; verb: form, reform, transform; adjective: reformed, reformist, formless; adverb: formlessly]
a change or changes made to a system or organization in order to improve it
reform of
a reform of the legal system
economic/political/educational reform
The government announced a much-needed programme of economic reform.
Reforms were made to revive the economy.
far-reaching/sweeping/radical reforms
The Prime Minister is calling for sweeping reforms of the NHS.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

reform
noun
ADJ. drastic, fundamental, great, important, major, radical, significant, substantial | comprehensive, far-reaching, sweeping, wholesale, wide-ranging | minor | piecemeal | new | further | immediate | rapid | much needed, necessary, overdue Health care reform is long overdue.
effective | practical | moral, political, social | democratic, liberal | domestic, institutional, internal | procedural, structural | administrative, governmental | constitutional, electoral, judicial, law, legal, legislative | penal, prison | curriculum, educational | welfare | budgetary, economic, financial, monetary, tax | agrarian, agricultural, environmental, land
QUANT. package
VERB + REFORM adopt, bring about, introduce, put in place | push through They wanted a weak president and a strong one-chamber parliament able to push through radical reforms.
carry out/through, implement, put into practice, undertake | accelerate efforts to accelerate the structural reform of the economy
delay | block The conservative coalition could delay further reforms or block them altogether.
accept, welcome | advocate, call for, press for, propose They have issued a statement advocating reform of the legal system.
demand | back, encourage, support We are committed to supporting democracy and reform in the region.
require The practice of global politics requires reform.
plan | discuss
REFORM + VERB go through The reforms went through in spite of opposition from teachers.
aim at sth tax reforms aimed at encouraging land development
REFORM + NOUN process | movement | initiative, measure, package, programme | act, bill | policy
PREP. ~ in reforms in housing and education
PHRASES the need for reform, the pace of reform, a programme of reform, a timetable for reform

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

reform
verb
ADV. drastically, fundamentally, radically The health service must be radically reformed.
VERB + REFORM attempt to, seek to, try to
PHRASES attempts/efforts/proposals to reform sth, a need to reform sth

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

change to make someone or something different:
Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do to change the situation.
Being at college has changed her – she’s much more confident now.
alter especially written tochange something so that it is better or more suitable:
You can alter the colour and size of the image using a remote control.
Can we alter the date of the meeting?
adapt to change something slightly in order to improve it or make it more suitable:
How much would it cost to adapt the existing equipment?
You can adapt the recipe to suit your own requirements.
adjust to make small changes in the position or level of something in order to improve it or make it more suitable:
How do you adjust the volume on the television?
He adjusted his tie in the mirror.
modify especially written to make small changes to something such as a piece of equipment, a set of ideas, or a way of behaving in order to improve it or use it in a different way:
He’s modified his opinions since then.
a modified version of the original program.
reform to change a law, system, organization etc so that it is fairer or more effective:
plans to reform the tax system
Health care needs to be completely reformed.
revise to change a plan, idea, law etc because of new information and ideas:
In July, China revised the rules for foreign investment.
The findings could force the scientists to revise their ideas about climate change.
reorganize to change the way that a system or organization works:
We’ve had to reorganize our database
During the 1980s, the government reorganized the civil service.
restructure to make big changes to the way something is organized, especially a large political or economic system or a big company, in order to make it more effective:
The company has been restructured from top to bottom.
economic reform
The Prime Minister has promised to push ahead with economic reform.
political/democratic/constitutional reform
He stressed that democratic reform could not be achieved overnight.
tax reform
The Chancellor's proposals for tax reform met strong resistance in the Commons.
education reform
Teachers say the government's education reforms are causing stress.
a major reform
He called for a major reform of the drug laws.
radical reform (=very big and important changes)
His government adopted a policy of radical reform.
fundamental reform (=changes to the most basic and important parts of something)
He wants fundamental reform of the EU's agricultural policy.
far-reaching/sweeping reforms (=reforms that affect many things or have a great effect)
The new government instituted a series of far-reaching reforms.
make/carry out reforms
They haven't made any real reforms.
introduce reforms
They increased pressure on the government to introduce political reforms.
push through reforms (=make them happen)
He has so far failed to push through much-needed economic reforms.
implement reforms (=carry out planned reforms)
Much will depend on how local managers implement the reforms.
a package/programme of reforms
A package of reforms was approved by the National Assembly on April 12.
alteration noun [uncountable and countable] a change, especially a small one that happens naturally or gradually, or one that is made in order to improve something:
I noticed a slight alteration in her behaviour.
They had to make some alterations to their original theory.
shift noun [countable] a change, especially in people’s attitudes or in the way they do things, or in the position of someone or something:
a shift in public opinion about the war
There has been a noticeable shift in government policy on education.
There needs to be a major shift away from road transport to rail transport.
After he died, there was a dramatic shift in the balance of power.
swing a big change, especially in someone’s opinions or moods:
There has been a big swing toward the Democrats (=many more people are supporting them).
The drug can cause mood swings.
fluctuation noun [uncountable and countable] a change in something - used when something changes often:
fluctuations in the value of the dollar
temperature fluctuations
fluctuations in his mood
There has been some fluctuation in productivity levels.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

change to make someone or something different:
Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do to change the situation.
Being at college has changed her – she’s much more confident now.
alter especially written tochange something so that it is better or more suitable:
You can alter the colour and size of the image using a remote control.
Can we alter the date of the meeting?
adapt to change something slightly in order to improve it or make it more suitable:
How much would it cost to adapt the existing equipment?
You can adapt the recipe to suit your own requirements.
adjust to make small changes in the position or level of something in order to improve it or make it more suitable:
How do you adjust the volume on the television?
He adjusted his tie in the mirror.
modify especially written to make small changes to something such as a piece of equipment, a set of ideas, or a way of behaving in order to improve it or use it in a different way:
He’s modified his opinions since then.
a modified version of the original program.
reform to change a law, system, organization etc so that it is fairer or more effective:
plans to reform the tax system
Health care needs to be completely reformed.
revise to change a plan, idea, law etc because of new information and ideas:
In July, China revised the rules for foreign investment.
The findings could force the scientists to revise their ideas about climate change.
reorganize to change the way that a system or organization works:
We’ve had to reorganize our database
During the 1980s, the government reorganized the civil service.
restructure to make big changes to the way something is organized, especially a large political or economic system or a big company, in order to make it more effective:
The company has been restructured from top to bottom.
transform to change something completely, especially so that it is much better:
Well, you’ve certainly transformed this place – it looks great!
Putin transformed the Russian economy.
revolutionize to completely and permanently change the way people do something or think about something, especially because of a new idea or invention:
Computers have revolutionized the way we work.
This important discovery revolutionized our understanding of the universe.
distort to explain facts, statements etc in a way that makes them seem different from what they really are:
The judge said that she had deliberately tried to distort the facts.
Don’t try to distort the truth.
twist to dishonestly change the meaning of a piece of information or of something that someone has said, in order to get an advantage for yourself or to support your own opinion:
He accused reporters of twisting his words.
In her article she twisted the meaning of what I said.
misrepresent to give people a wrong idea about someone or their opinions, by what you write or say:
I hope I have not misrepresented her opinion.
He’s taking legal action to stop the film, claiming it grossly misrepresents him.
big/major
Going to a new school is a big change for children.
slight/small/minor
The proposed changes were relatively minor.
gradual
There has been a gradual change in the weather.
dramatic/drastic/radical (=very big, especially in way that is surprising)
The Industrial Revolution was a period of dramatic change.
significant
The change in blood pressure was not significant.
marked (=very noticeable)
There was a marked change in his behaviour.
fundamental
Reducing waste requires a fundamental change in attitude.
social/political/economic etc change
Demands for political and social change are growing.
sweeping changes (=affecting many things or people, especially because of an official decision)
There are likely to be sweeping changes in the company.
far-reaching changes (=important and having a great effect that will last a long time)
The Internet has brought about far-reaching changes in the way we work.
make a change
We've had to make some changes to the design.
introduce a change
A number of changes were introduced to the curriculum.
bring (about) change (also effect a change formal) (=cause change)
The war brought about radical social change.
Treatment is aimed at effecting a change in the child’s negative behaviour.
see/notice/observe a change
I saw a big change in her when I met her again.
undergo a change (=be affected by a change)
The body undergoes a number of changes during this time.
signal a change (=be a sign of a change)
Does this move signal a change in US foreign policy?
the pace/rate of change
People sometimes feel alarmed by the pace of technological change.
alteration noun [uncountable and countable] a change, especially a small one that happens naturally or gradually, or one that is made in order to improve something:
I noticed a slight alteration in her behaviour.
They had to make some alterations to their original theory.
shift noun [countable] a change, especially in people’s attitudes or in the way they do things, or in the position of someone or something:
a shift in public opinion about the war
There has been a noticeable shift in government policy on education.
There needs to be a major shift away from road transport to rail transport.
After he died, there was a dramatic shift in the balance of power.
swing a big change, especially in someone’s opinions or moods:
There has been a big swing toward the Democrats (=many more people are supporting them).
The drug can cause mood swings.
fluctuation noun [uncountable and countable] a change in something - used when something changes often:
fluctuations in the value of the dollar
temperature fluctuations
fluctuations in his mood
There has been some fluctuation in productivity levels.
transformation noun [uncountable and countable] a change in which something or someone becomes completely different:
There has been a complete transformation in his attitude since he became a father.
her transformation from shy local girl to famous movie actress
revolution noun [countable] a complete change in ways of thinking or working:
The 1970s saw the beginnings of a new technological revolution.
Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity started a revolution in scientific thinking.
shake-up noun [countable] a situation in which a lot of changes are very quickly made in a system or organization in order to make it more effective:
The department has not performed well and is badly in need of a shake-up.
The Administration is planning a thorough shake-up of the welfare system.
U-turn noun [countable] a complete change in the plans of a government or political party so that it decides to do the opposite of what it originally said it would do:
The government was forced to do a U-turn after angry protests about their taxation policy.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

change noun [uncountable and countable] a situation in which someone or something becomes different, or the act of making something different:
There was a sudden change in the weather.
We are living in a period of great change.
He was told to make some slight changes to his essay.
alteration noun [uncountable and countable] a change, especially a small one that happens naturally or gradually, or one that is made in order to improve something:
I noticed a slight alteration in her behaviour.
They had to make some alterations to their original theory.
reform noun [uncountable and countable] a change made to a system or law in order to improve it:
He called for a reform of our outdated voting system.
Many people opposed the economic reforms.
shift noun [countable] a change, especially in people’s attitudes or in the way they do things, or in the position of someone or something:
a shift in public opinion about the war
There has been a noticeable shift in government policy on education.
There needs to be a major shift away from road transport to rail transport.
After he died, there was a dramatic shift in the balance of power.
swing a big change, especially in someone’s opinions or moods:
There has been a big swing toward the Democrats (=many more people are supporting them).
The drug can cause mood swings.
fluctuation noun [uncountable and countable] a change in something - used when something changes often:
fluctuations in the value of the dollar
temperature fluctuations
fluctuations in his mood
There has been some fluctuation in productivity levels.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲