This research examines how reformist identity was conceptualized in the discourse of activists of this movement in the Islamic Republic of Iran from 1976 to 1404. The current research is important in that it addresses reformists' self-conceptualization of reformist identity and its changes.Therefore, the main question of the research is, what is the reformist identity? Using the theoretical framework of Laclau and Mouffe's discourse theory and the method of discourse analysis, 30 key texts produced by the reformists were analyzed. The findings show that the reformist identity has a fluid and discursive nature that has evolved in three periods:The founding period (1937–2015) focused on political development, civil society, and public participation with political development as the central signifier; the resistance period (1935–2013) turned to legal defense of freedoms and confrontation with security interpretations of the law; the rethinking period (1933–2014) emphasized nonviolence, gradual change, and migration to cyberspace.The identity of this movement has always been reconstructed in the tension between loyalty to the principles of the Islamic Republic and the pursuit of modern values ​​. The main challenges include failure to institutionalize achievements, identity conflict, distance from the social base of the youth, and limited institutional space.