Meanings
plural reform schools
- datedA penal institution for juveniles, especially males.
And through this one small error of judgment, Elwood’s life is changed when he is sent to a reform school called Nickel.
2019 July 26, Aminatta Forna, “The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead review”, in The GuardianSynonyms: borstal, reformatory, residential school
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA penal institution for juveniles, especially males.
More synonyms by meaning
nouncorrectional institution for the detention and discipline and training of young or first offenders
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Bulgarian изправителен дом
- изправителен дом (izpravitelen dom)institution for juveniles
Catalan reformatori
- reformatoriinstitution for juveniles
Chinese Cantonese 感化院
- 感化院institution for juveniles
Chinese Mandarin 未成年犯管教所, 感化院
- 未成年犯管教所 (wèichéngniánfàn guǎnjiàosuǒ)institution for juveniles
- 感化院 (gǎnhuàyuàn)institution for juveniles
Czech polepšovna
- polepšovnainstitution for juveniles
Dutch verbeteringsgesticht
- verbeteringsgestichtinstitution for juveniles
Finnish nuorisovankila
- nuorisovankilainstitution for juveniles
French maison de redressement, maison de correction
- maison de redressementinstitution for juveniles
- maison de correctioninstitution for juveniles
German Erziehungsanstalt
- Erziehungsanstaltinstitution for juveniles
Greek αναμορφωτήριο
- αναμορφωτήριο (anamorfotírio)institution for juveniles
Hungarian nevelőintézet, javítóintézet
- nevelőintézetinstitution for juveniles
- javítóintézetinstitution for juveniles
- javító-nevelő intézetinstitution for juveniles
Irish scoil cheartúcháin
- scoil cheartúcháininstitution for juveniles
Italian riformatorio, correzionale
- riformatorioinstitution for juveniles
- correzionaleinstitution for juveniles
- casa di rieducazioneinstitution for juveniles
Polish poprawczak, dom poprawczy
- poprawczakinstitution for juveniles
- dom poprawczyinstitution for juveniles
- zakład poprawczyinstitution for juveniles
Punjabi ਸੁਧਾਰ ਘਰ
- ਸੁਧਾਰ ਘਰ (sudhār ghar)institution for juveniles
Romanian casă de corecție
- casă de corecțieinstitution for juveniles
Spanish reformatorio
- reformatorioinstitution for juveniles
Swedish ungdomsvårdsanstalt, uppfostringsanstalt
- ungdomsvårdsanstaltinstitution for juveniles
- uppfostringsanstaltinstitution for juveniles
- ungdomsvårdsskolainstitution for juveniles
Cite this entry
reform school. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reform%20school
“reform school.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reform%20school. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “reform school,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reform%20school.
Source: reform school on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.