encouragement

play

noun en·cour·age·ment \ in-ˈkər-ij-mənt , -ˈkə-rij- , en- \

Definition of encouragement

1 :the act of encouraging :the state of being encouraged

2 :something that encourages

See encouragement defined for English-language learners

Examples of encouragement in a Sentence

Our aim is the encouragement of investment.
the encouragement of plant growth
teachers who give their students a lot of encouragement
With support and encouragement from their parents, the students organized a fundraiser.
They offered him gifts of money and other encouragements.

Recent Examples of encouragement from the Web

The sound of skateboard decks slapping a wooden ramp and yells of encouragement were punctuated by bass-heavy music cutting through the air like a cleaver.

— matt stone, The Courier-Journal, "Farm Party: An invite-only shin-dig where skateboarding, music and friends collide," 18 Aug. 2017
But the last decade has shown that with a little encouragement, many can easily become excessively lustful about homeownership and wealth, to the detriment of our economy and society.

— robert j. shiller, New York Times, "The Transformation of the ‘American Dream’," 4 Aug. 2017
As mentioned, Trump’s encouragement of police brutality a twisted remix of a joke made by Jerry Seinfeld in the 90’s which seemingly discourages police brutality.

— sean mesidor, Essence.com, "These Police Departments Condemned Trump's Pro-Police Brutality Speech, But What Happened To Action?," 31 July 2017
Williams leaves her fellow women of color with words of encouragement.

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Serena Williams Fights for Equal Pay for Women of Color," 31 July 2017
In March 2016, the Obama administration, with the encouragement of a unanimous vote in the House of Representatives, declared that ISIS was committing genocide against religious minorities in the Middle East.

— thomas s. hibbs, National Review, "Facing Extinction, Iraqi Christians Look to America," 28 July 2017
His former teammates offered hugs and words of encouragement on his way out.

— josh tolentino, kansascity, "After being traded by Tigers in Kansas City, it’s #BaseballHugs all around for J.D. Martinez," 19 July 2017
Fans danced in the middle of the road, yelling exaggerated encouragement to the last amateur cyclists chugging up the road ahead of Sunday’s stage.

— written by andrew keh; photographs by pete kiehart, New York Times, "On Tour’s Mountain Roads, Beer, Baguettes and, Briefly, Bikes," 18 July 2017
During their stay, each student would receive daily notes of encouragement that were dropped into envelopes decorated with their names and hung in the room where the students congregated.

— by tyrone lomax jr., miamiherald, "At this camp, bonds build over social injustice, not bonfires," 14 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'encouragement.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.