reinforce
Americanverb (used with object)
-
reinforces,
present (3rd person singular)
-
reinforced,
past participle, past
-
reinforcing
present participle
-
to strengthen with some added piece, support, or material.
to reinforce a wall.
-
to strengthen (a military force) with additional personnel, ships, or aircraft.
to reinforce a garrison.
-
to strengthen; make more forcible or effective.
to reinforce efforts.
-
to augment; increase.
to reinforce a supply.
-
Psychology. to strengthen the probability of (a response to a given stimulus) by giving or withholding a reward.
noun
-
something that reinforces.
-
a metal band on the rear part of the bore of a gun, where the explosion occurs.
verb
-
to give added strength or support to
-
to give added emphasis to; stress, support, or increase
his rudeness reinforced my determination
-
to give added support to (a military force) by providing more men, supplies, etc
-
psychol to reward an action or response of (a human or animal) so that it becomes more likely to occur again
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
reinforcesimple
-
reinforcessimple
-
have reinforcedperfect
-
has reinforcedperfect
-
am reinforcingprogressive
-
are reinforcingprogressive
-
is reinforcingprogressive
-
have been reinforcingperfect progressive
-
has been reinforcingperfect progressive
Past
-
reinforcedsimple
-
had reinforcedperfect
-
was reinforcingprogressive
-
were reinforcingprogressive
-
had been reinforcingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of reinforce
First recorded in 1590–1600; re- + inforce, alteration of enforce
Explanation
To reinforce means to make stronger. You can reinforce your roof by putting some extra supports under it. Besides a physical structure, there are many things you can reinforce. If you want to reinforce a message, you can say it louder, rephrase and repeat it or give examples of what you expect. You use dog biscuits to reinforce certain behaviors in your dog. Bad experiences will reinforce your fears, good ones your hopes. And when military leaders reinforce their troops, they send additional soldiers to the front.
Vocabulary lists containing reinforce
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Language of Standardized Tests, List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The ACT: The Language of the Test, List 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
The central bank’s upgraded growth forecasts will likely reinforce those expectations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
But it does reinforce the dilemma that they face.
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026
“This was an isolated incident, and we want to reinforce that school games in Bakersfield remain safe.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
They also reinforce the importance of including both sexes in medical research, which has historically depended heavily on male study groups.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
Daliwonga was playing a leading part in persuading the Bunga to accept Bantu Authorities, for the new order would reinforce and even increase his power as the chief of Emigrant Thembuland.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
“Today’s agreement illustrates our belief that copyright is a cornerstone of the film and television industry – and reinforces our commitment to protect creative content,” said MPA Chairman and Chief Executive Charles Rivkin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
It also reinforces the importance of South America for the study of the origin and diversification of major groups of terrestrial vertebrates.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
SpaceX’s emphasis on its allocation from Nvidia “further reinforces that the AI-compute shortage is unlikely to ease, even through 2027,” Slowinski said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
“Our results are not where they need to be, but the progress we saw in the second quarter reinforces our confidence that the plan is working,” said Chief Executive Jonathan Neman.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
In doing so, he establishes that the ring is his territory, not theirs, a notion that he reinforces by shouting, by stomping about, by snapping his whip.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
It hurt because it made him seem like a perennial candidate and reinforced Graham’s attacks on the five-term congressman as a career politician.
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026
Thailand has reinforced its military presence in the south and Malaysia has also boosted security on the border.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
Efforts to reduce screen viewing may therefore be most useful when they begin during infancy and are reinforced as children approach school entry age.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
Turning 70 has only reinforced my view that staying as healthy as possible is critically important.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026
Anya had pushed it there, then reinforced it with whatever she could move on her own.
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
"This is a clear example of how climate change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing one another," she added.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
"This is a clear example of how climate change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing one another," said Samantha Burgess from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, which operates Copernicus.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
He also averaged 8.69 touches in the opposition penalty area per 90 minutes - the seventh-highest figure among more than 1,500 eligible players - reinforcing the profile of a winger who consistently occupies goalscoring positions.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
June’s inflation print came in lower than expected, reinforcing this patient approach.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
The dome of the Hab is mostly supported by air pressure, but there are flexible reinforcing poles across the inside to hold up the canvas.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
