reinforce

Also re·en·force,

[ree-in-fawrs, -fohrs]

verb (used with object)

reinforced, reinforcing 

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

Other Word Forms

• reinforcer noun
• self-reinforcing adjective
• unreinforced adjective
• reinforcement noun

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

This is reinforced by Jewish habits of thought, which include criticism, irony, skepticism.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“Another benign set of inflation data in September reinforced the restrictiveness of current policy in real terms,” Standard Chartered analyst Razia Khan said in a note.

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Quitting requires both ignoring that urge and going against a society that historically has reinforced, rather than condemned, the accumulation of evermore items, Preston said.

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After last month's meeting, priorities are "accelerating innovation in strategic technologies and reinforcing domestic demand through structural improvements in income distribution and social safety nets", the report said.

Read more on Barron's

Market demand appears constructive with industry bellwethers pointing to central-processing unit recovery, which reinforces momentum for the company.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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