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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

reformatory en · ADJ

Pronunciation

  • /ɹəˈfɔɹməˌtɔɹi/ (US)
  • /ɹɪˈfɔː(ɹ)mətɹi/ (UK)
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ɹɪˈfɔː(ɹ)mətəɹi/ (UK)

Meanings

  1. Of, pertaining to, or conducive to reform; reformative.
    • Other reformatory schools might not strike that balance between reform and education. 2019, Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys, Fleet, page 49:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
more reformatory Degree=Cmp lexicographic
most reformatory Degree=Sup lexicographic

reformatory en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ɹəˈfɔɹməˌtɔɹi/ (US)
  • /ɹɪˈfɔː(ɹ)mətɹi/ (UK)
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ɹɪˈfɔː(ɹ)mətəɹi/ (UK)

Meanings

  1. A prison, especially one for juveniles; a reform school.
    • It was the nicest-looking property Elwood had ever seen—a real school, a good one, not the forbidding reformatory he’d conjured the last few weeks. 2019, Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys, Fleet, page 45:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
reformatories Number=Plur lexicographic

Synonyms

approved school (for juveniles) · juvenile hall (for juveniles) · borstal (for juveniles) · detention home (for juveniles) · reform school (for juveniles) · youth detention centre (for juveniles)