Reformism: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Reformism is the belief that gradual changes in a society can change its fundamental structures. It is thus functionally equivalent to the movement known as Democratic socialism It is contrasted to "revolutionary socialism" which believes that there must be a revolution to fundamentally change a society. A person who adheres to reformism is called a reformist. Rosa Luxemburg was one of the first to polemicise against the tendency with her essay Reform or Revolution? written in 1900 where she assailed the "Evolutionary Socialism" of Eduard Bernstein.

The term is usually applied to the political left. Reformists are seen as centre left. Some Social Democratic parties such as the Canadian NDP are considered reformist.