reinforce

verb

re·​in·​force ˌrē-ən-ˈfȯrs How to pronounce reinforce (audio)
variants or less commonly reenforce
reinforced also reenforced; reinforcing also reenforcing; reinforces also reenforces

transitive verb

1
: to strengthen by additional assistance, material, or support : make stronger or more pronounced
reinforce levees
reinforce the elbows of a jacket
reinforce ideas
2
: to strengthen or increase by fresh additions
reinforce our troops
were reinforcing their pitching staff
3
: to stimulate (a subject, such as an experimental animal) by reinforcement (see reinforcement sense 3)
also : to encourage (a response) by reinforcement
reinforceable adjective

Examples of reinforce in a Sentence

The captain sent out another squad to reinforce the troops. Our camp is reinforced with supplies flown in by helicopter. The levees will need to be reinforced. The bad weather forecast only reinforces our decision to leave early tomorrow. Some critics say that the movie reinforces negative stereotypes about the military. We do our best to reinforce good conduct in the classroom. See More
Recent Examples on the Web That assessment was further reinforced in the years since, including China wiping away many of the political and media freedoms in Hong Kong carried over from its handover by Britain in 1997. Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023 Faraway Downs reinforces the story as a melodrama, cutting the treacle with a welcome note of bitterness. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Nov. 2023 The adjustable shoulder straps are also padded for your carrying comfort, and the bottom and corner stitching is reinforced to prevent tearing (but don’t push it by overstuffing). Rena Behar, Travel + Leisure, 20 Nov. 2023 The hope is that all this will reinforce NATO admonitions to Russia to stop the aggression. Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Nov. 2023 Instead, crews will reinforce 100 support columns that were damaged by the fire on Saturday morning, which burned in an area beneath the freeway where vehicles and wooden freight pallets were stored. Corina Knoll, New York Times, 14 Nov. 2023 First-time international enrollment was up 14%, another strong showing that reinforces the 80% increase that occurred in 2021-22, following the worst of the pandemic fall-out when 2020-21 saw a decrease of about 100,000 students. Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 Chaplin presented as a small man, and the Tramp reads as small, an effect that Chaplin reinforced by casting much bigger actors as the heavies in his pictures. Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023 Non-ductile buildings have an inadequate configuration of steel reinforcing bars, which allows concrete to explode out of columns when shaken in an earthquake, a prelude to a catastrophic collapse. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reinforce.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

re- + inforce, alteration of enforce

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of reinforce was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near reinforce

Cite this Entry

“Reinforce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reinforce. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

reinforce

verb
re·​in·​force ˌrē-ən-ˈfō(ə)rs How to pronounce reinforce (audio)
-ˈfȯ(ə)rs
1
: to strengthen by additional assistance, material, or support
reinforce the elbows of a jacket
reinforce the argument with facts
2
: to strengthen or increase by fresh additions
were reinforcing their pitching staff
reinforce our troops
3
: to stimulate (a person or animal) with a reinforcer
also : to increase the frequency of (a response) with a reinforcer

Medical Definition

reinforce

transitive verb
reinforced; reinforcing
1
: to strengthen by additional material or support : make stronger
reinforced with vitamins
2
: to stimulate (as an experimental animal or a student) by reinforcement
also : to encourage (a response) by reinforcement
reinforceable adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on reinforce

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