Reformation

n. act of reforming, improvement, amendment; state of being changed, state of being amended

n. 16th-century Christian religious movement which sought to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the establishment of Protestantism

The Protestant Reformation was a movement in Europe that began with Martin Luther's activities in 1517 and ended with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. The movement began as an attempt to reform the Catholic Church and led to the fracturing of Christendom. Many western Christians were troubled by what they saw as false doctrines and malpractices within the Church, particularly involving the teaching and sale of indulgences. Another major contention was the practice of buying and selling church positions (simony) and the tremendous corruption found at the time within the Church's hierarchy. This corruption was systemic at the time, even reaching the position of the Pope.
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Noun
1. a religious movement of the 16th century that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the creation of Protestant churches
(synonym) Protestant Reformation
(hypernym) religious movement

Noun
1. improvement (or an intended improvement) in the existing form or condition of institutions or practices etc.; intended to make a striking change for the better in social or political or religious affairs
(hypernym) improvement, melioration
(hyponym) counterreformation
(derivation) reform
2. rescuing from error and returning to a rightful course; "the reclamation of delinquent children"
(synonym) reclamation
(hypernym) rescue, deliverance, delivery, saving
(derivation) reform, reclaim, regenerate, rectify

n. reformation, act of reforming, improvement, amendment, state of being changed, state of being amended

n. reformation, amendment