Definition of reinforcement
1 : the action of strengthening or encouraging something : the state of being reinforced
2 : something that strengthens or encourages something: such asa : an addition of troops, supplies, etc., that augments the strength of an army or other military force —usually plural About 8 a.m. Soviet tanks and armored personnel carriers containing reinforcements approached the gorge from the right flank. — John Barronb : something designed to provide additional strength (as in a weak area) a bridge in need of steel reinforcementsc : a response to someone's behavior that is intended to make that person more likely to behave that way again positive/negative reinforcement
3 psychology : the action of causing a subject to learn to give or to increase the frequency of a desired response that in classical conditioning involves the repeated presentation of an unconditioned stimulus (such as the sight of food) paired with a conditioned stimulus (such as the sound of a bell) and that in operant conditioning involves the use of a reward following a correct response or a punishment following an incorrect response; also : the reward, punishment, or unconditioned stimulus used in reinforcement
Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd
Examples of reinforcement in a Sentence
“We're outnumbered! Call for reinforcements!”
We need to prevent enemy reinforcements from reaching the front line.
The bridge is in need of reinforcement.
You should encourage good behavior with positive reinforcement.
Recent Examples of reinforcement from the Web
-
Vargas, meanwhile, could be attractive for a club that needs a reinforcement near the back end of their starting rotation.
-
About 50 to 100 militants were putting up the strongest stand in buildings across a bridge from Marawi's city hall, where hundreds of reinforcement troops were deployed.
-
Trump also has to decide soon on a Pentagon recommendation to add more U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, as well as boosting reinforcement for the beleaguered Afghan military.
-
And when the White House sends in reinforcements to campaign with Ms. Handel ahead of Election Day on June 20, Vice President Mike Pence will be the headliner, not Mr. Trump.
-
Trump also has to decide soon on a Pentagon recommendation to add more U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, as well as boosting reinforcement for the beleaguered Afghan forces.
-
Mr. Trump also has to decide soon on a Pentagon recommendation to add more U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, as well as boosting reinforcement for the beleaguered Afghan forces.
-
He was optioned to Norfolk briefly on May 4 to make room for bullpen reinforcements, but returned two days later when Britton was placed on the disabled list.
-
When AlphaGo was left to play against itself another technique, called reinforcement learning, was used.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'reinforcement'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
1602
First Known Use of reinforcement
1602
REINFORCEMENT Defined for English Language Learners
reinforcement
playDefinition of reinforcement for English Language Learners
-
reinforcements : people and supplies that are sent to help or support an army, military force, etc.
-
: the act of strengthening or encouraging something
-
: a thing that strengthens or encourages something
REINFORCEMENT Defined for Kids
reinforcement
playDefinition of reinforcement for Students
1 : people or things (as supplies) sent to help or support
2 : the act of making something stronger or able to last longer The bridge is in need of reinforcement.
Medical Dictionary
reinforcement
playMedical Definition of reinforcement
: the action of causing a subject (as a student or an experimental animal) to learn to give or to increase the frequency of a desired response that in classical conditioning involves the repeated presentation of an unconditioned stimulus (as the sight of food) paired with a conditioned stimulus (as the sound of a bell) and that in operant conditioning involves the use of a reward following a correct response or a punishment following an incorrect response; also : the reward, punishment, or unconditioned stimulus used in reinforcement—compare recruitment 1
Learn More about reinforcement
-
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for reinforcement Spanish Central: Translation of reinforcement Nglish: Translation of reinforcement for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of reinforcement for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about reinforcement
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up reinforcement? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!