The Reformation
Etymology
From Latin “reformare,” “to form again, restore,” via “re-” plus “formare.” Though “reform” simply means to improve, the capitalized Reformation names the specific upheaval sparked by Martin Luther’s 1517 challenge to Church practices such as indulgences. The word frames the movement as restoring a purer, original Christianity rather than inventing a new faith.
noun · /ref-or-MAY-shun/
The 16th-century religious movement that split Western Christianity, creating Protestant churches in protest against the Catholic Church.
What it names
The upheaval that fractured Christendom and reshaped European politics, literacy, and the very idea of individual conscience.
Example
The printing press spread the pamphlets that turned the Reformation into a mass movement.
Related idea
Distinguish it from the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic Church’s own reforming and resurgent response to the Protestant challenge.