reinforcement

American  

[ree-in-fawrs-muhnt, -fohrs-] / ˌri ɪnˈfɔrs mənt, -ˈfoʊrs- /

noun

1. the act of reinforcing.

2. the state of being reinforced.

3. something that reinforces or strengthens.

4. Often reinforcements. an additional supply of personnel, ships, aircraft, etc., for a military force.

5. a system of steel bars, strands, wires, or mesh for absorbing the tensile and shearing stresses in concrete work.

6. Psychology.

   1. a procedure, as a reward or punishment, that alters a response to a stimulus.

   2. the act of reinforcing a response.

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Other Word Forms

• nonreinforcement noun

Etymology

Origin of reinforcement

First recorded in 1600–10; reinforce + -ment

Example Sentences

Surrounding rock that lacked this reinforcement gradually eroded away, leaving behind the web-like network visible today.

From Science Daily

After 14 days of war, the United States is reportedly sending reinforcements that could open up options beyond the airborne campaign.

From Barron's

It also reported that the request for reinforcements was made by US Central Command, the part of the US military responsible for the Middle East, and approved by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

From BBC

They’re also convinced of their unorthodox methods, which hinge on reinforcement and reward.

From Los Angeles Times

The single biggest capability gain in the history of AI was an alignment technique—reinforcement learning from human feedback, the technique that made ChatGPT possible and created trillions of dollars in market capitalization.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• aid