reinforce
Americanverb (used with object)
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to strengthen with some added piece, support, or material.
to reinforce a wall.
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to strengthen (a military force) with additional personnel, ships, or aircraft.
to reinforce a garrison.
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to strengthen; make more forcible or effective.
to reinforce efforts.
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to augment; increase.
to reinforce a supply.
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Psychology. to strengthen the probability of (a response to a given stimulus) by giving or withholding a reward.
noun
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something that reinforces.
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a metal band on the rear part of the bore of a gun, where the explosion occurs.
verb
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to give added strength or support to
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to give added emphasis to; stress, support, or increase
his rudeness reinforced my determination
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to give added support to (a military force) by providing more men, supplies, etc
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psychol to reward an action or response of (a human or animal) so that it becomes more likely to occur again
Other Word Forms
- reinforcement noun
- reinforcer noun
- self-reinforcing adjective
- unreinforced adjective
Etymology
Origin of reinforce
First recorded in 1590–1600; re- + inforce, alteration of enforce
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.
“By choosing not to use the standard generational labels when they’re not appropriate, we can avoid reinforcing harmful stereotypes or oversimplifying people’s complex lived experiences,” wrote Kim Parker, director of social trends research at Pew.
From Salon
“It shows sellers remain firmly in control and reinforces the view that Bitcoin is still trading within a broader downtrend.”
From Barron's
“The operation reinforces Home Affairs’ commitment to enforcing the rule of law without fear or favor,” Carli van Wyk, a spokeswoman for the Department of Home Affairs, said.
"For creators it reinforces a pretty brutal reality that Facebook is no longer a reliable traffic engine and Meta is increasingly nudging it away from people trying to use it as one," Mr Navarra said.
From BBC
An reading near currently forecast level of around 3.1% would reinforce views that inflation remains way above Fed’s 2% target, the team says.
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.
