Reflectent Re·flect"ent adjective [ Latin
reflectens , present participle of
reflectere . See
Reflect .]
1. Bending or flying back; reflected. "The ray descendent, and the ray
reflectent flying with so great a speed."
Sir K. Digby. 2. Reflecting; as, a reflectent body. Sir K. Digby.
Reformation Ref`or·ma"tion noun [ French
réformation , Latin
reformatio .]
1. The act of reforming, or the state of being reformed; change from worse to better; correction or amendment of life, manners, or of anything vicious or corrupt; as, the reformation of manners; reformation of the age; reformation of abuses. Satire lashes vice into reformation .
Dryden. 2. Specifically (Eccl. Hist.) , the important religious movement commenced by Luther early in the sixteenth century, which resulted in the formation of the various Protestant churches. Syn. -- Reform; amendment; correction; rectification. --
Reformation ,
Reform .
Reformation is a more thorough and comprehensive change than
reform . It is applied to subjects that are more important, and results in changes which are more lasting. A
reformation involves, and is followed by, many particular
reforms . "The pagan converts mention this great
reformation of those who had been the greatest sinners, with that sudden and surprising change which the Christian religion made in the lives of the most profligate."
Addison. "A variety of schemes, founded in visionary and impracticable ideas of
reform , were suddenly produced."
Pitt.