reinforce

[ ree-in-fawrs, -fohrs ]

verb (used with object)

, re·in·forced, re·in·forc·ing.

1. to strengthen with some added piece, support, or material:

   to reinforce a wall.

2. to strengthen (a military force) with additional personnel, ships, or aircraft:

   to reinforce a garrison.

3. to strengthen; make more forcible or effective:

   to reinforce efforts.

4. to augment; increase:

   to reinforce a supply.

5. Psychology. to strengthen the probability of (a response to a given stimulus) by giving or withholding a reward.

noun

1. something that reinforces.
2. a metal band on the rear part of the bore of a gun, where the explosion occurs.

reinforce

/ ˌriːɪnˈfɔːs /

verb

1. to give added strength or support to
2. to give added emphasis to; stress, support, or increase

   his rudeness reinforced my determination

3. to give added support to (a military force) by providing more men, supplies, etc
4. psychol to reward an action or response of (a human or animal) so that it becomes more likely to occur again

Derived Forms

• ˌreinˈforcement, noun

Other Words From

• rein·forcer noun
• self-rein·forcing adjective
• unre·in·forced adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of reinforce¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; re- + inforce, alteration of enforce

Word History and Origins

Origin of reinforce¹

C17: from obsolete renforce , from French renforcer ; see re- + inforce enforce

Example Sentences

We saw this in Gamergate, where wild speculation about the sex lives of the victims reinforced the framework that the victims do not deserve the protection of basic respect and decorum.

From Salon

Specific praise, such as "that's great that you took deep breaths instead of yelling," reinforces use of coping tools.

From Science Daily

Worst of all, she habitually dodged questions, offering banal, scripted, unmemorable answers that reinforced the impression that she was weak and lacked the courage of her convictions.

From Salon

“Chinese leaders will reinforce the narrative that the US is the single and most disruptive source of global instability, while portraying China as a responsible and confident world power,” says Yu Jie.

From BBC

This season’s late-game struggles seemed to only reinforce last year’s pattern of seven consecutive losses in games decided by three or fewer points.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• add to
• bolster
• boost
• build up
• buttress
• emphasize
• enlarge
• fortify
• increase
• shore up
• stress
• support
• underline