reform school

noun

: a reformatory for boys or girls

Examples of reform school in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Words fail to really capture the unique, harrowing ride that is seeing the horrors of the 1960s Florida reform school the two young protagonists are trapped in, quite literally through their eyes. Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 Dec. 2024 Certainly, there could have been a more straightforward adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s acclaimed novel about the friendship between two Black boys at a brutal Florida reform school in the early 1960s. Glenn Whipp, Twin Cities, 24 Nov. 2024 Advertisement Certainly, there could have been a more straightforward adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s acclaimed novel about the friendship between two Black boys at a brutal Florida reform school in the early 1960s. Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2024 Telling the stories of two Black teens confined to a brutal Florida reform school, Ross almost entirely adopts a subjective camera, shooting from the point of view of his protagonists. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for reform school 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1859, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reform school was circa 1859

Dictionary Entries Near reform school

Cite this Entry

“Reform school.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reform%20school. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

reform school

noun
: a reformatory for boys or girls

Legal Definition

reform school

noun
: a reformatory for boys or girls

More from Merriam-Webster on reform school

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!