Reform

Latin reformare — to form again, reshape. From re- (again) + formare (to form). Originally meant to restore a previous good form — to correct something that had gone wrong. The progressive sense of reform as improvement toward something new came later.

Reform is always someone's gain and someone's loss, but the word obscures this. 'Criminal justice reform,' 'tax reform,' 'immigration reform' — each phrase implies improvement without specifying direction. Who uses the word and who fears it are telling.