encouragement

American

[en-kur-ij-muhnt, -kuhr-] / ɛnˈkɜr ɪdʒ mənt, -ˈkʌr- /

noun

the act of encouraging.
the state of being encouraged.
something that encourages.

Praise is the greatest encouragement.

Synonyms:

endorsement, lift, boost, support, praise

Other Word Forms

preencouragement noun
reencouragement noun

Etymology

Origin of encouragement

First recorded in 1560–70; encourage + -ment

Explanation

When you help someone by offering positive words of support and approval, that's encouragement. It must have been the words of encouragement you gave in the airport lounge that helped your friend board the plane. Within the word encouragement we see the word "courage," which means the ability to face danger and deal with it. To encourage, then, is to help develop that ability in someone, while the "ment" at the end makes that development into a noun, the act of giving courage or support to another. You needed a little encouragement to try horse riding again, after your injuries healed.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Ross’ popularity at the time of his death, along with his prolific output, translated into an afterlife associating him with kindness and encouragement.

From Salon • May 2, 2026

Those with knowledge of Maresca's views, though, said he had grown unhappy at a multitude of factors, including encouragement over which players should start and which substitutions should be made during matches.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

I drove all around Frostproof, at Mike’s encouragement, looking for oranges, which I hadn’t seen many of.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

Elon Musk responded with encouragement 62 minutes later.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

The others screamed encouragement at me to “get up!” and “move faster!” but I was doing the best I could.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023