Could You Pass The SAT? Test Yourself!

reinforcement

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

noun

the act of reinforcing.
the state of being reinforced.
something that reinforces or strengthens.
Often reinforcements. an additional supply of personnel, ships, aircraft, etc., for a military force.
a system of steel bars, strands, wires, or mesh for absorbing the tensile and shearing stresses in concrete work.
Psychology.
  1. a procedure, as a reward or punishment, that alters a response to a stimulus.
  2. the act of reinforcing a response.

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL PUNCTUATION!

Commas mark divisions in sentences. Periods end declarative sentences. Apostrophes show possession. Easy, right? Well, punctuation can get pretty tricky—fast. Think you got what it takes to be a punctuation expert? Take our quiz to prove it!
Question 1 of 10
Which of the options below is the best punctuation for the sentence? It__s your turn to pick the movie __ but your sister gets to pick the board game we _ re going to play.
Its your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.
It’s your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game were going to play.
It’s your turn to pick the movie, but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of reinforcement

First recorded in 1600–10; reinforce + -ment

OTHER WORDS FROM reinforcement

non·re·in·force·ment, noun

Words nearby reinforcement

reinfect, reinfection, reinforce, reinforced concrete, reinforced plastic, reinforcement, reinforcement therapy, reinforcer, reinhardt, reinhold, reinnervation
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to reinforcements

aid, buttress, column, pillar, coating, prop, brace, help

Example sentences from the Web for reinforcements

Medical definitions for reinforcements

reinforcement
[ rē′ĭn-fôrs′mənt ]

n.

The act or process of reinforcing.
Something that reinforces.
The occurrence or experimental introduction of an unconditioned stimulus along with a conditioned stimulus.
The strengthening of a conditioned response by such means.
An event, a circumstance, or a condition that increases the likelihood that a given response will recur in a situation like that in which the reinforcing condition originally occurred.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.