reinforcement

noun

re·​in·​force·​ment ˌrē-ən-ˈfȯrs-mənt 

1

: the action of strengthening or encouraging something : the state of being reinforced

2

: something that strengthens or encourages something: such as

a

: 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 Barron

b

: something designed to provide additional strength (as in a weak area)

a bridge in need of steel reinforcements

c

: 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

Synonyms

• brace
• buttress
• mount
• mounting
• prop
• shore
• spur
• stay
• support
• underpinning

Example Sentences

“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 on the Web

The Spice The power of reinforcement learning is phenomenal. —Sriram Bhargav Madhav, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2023

One of the most data-hungry approaches is deep reinforcement learning, where AI learns through trial and error by iterating through millions of simulations. —IEEE Spectrum, 15 Mar. 2023

My algorithm was a rough translation of Q-Learning—one of the simpler reinforcement learning algorithms—into steps a human could follow. —Lucy Liu, WIRED, 1 Mar. 2023

This instant check would provide the feedback necessary for reinforcement learning, allowing these programs to learn from their mistakes. —Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 15 Feb. 2023

Those looking for arch support will find a friend in the removable PU insole, specifically designed for extra reinforcement in that area of your foot. —Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 13 Feb. 2023

DeepMind’s signature technique behind the algorithm, reinforcement learning, was something Google wasn’t doing at the time. —Time, 12 Jan. 2023

The bot’s reinforcement learning induces it to generate something similar to what humans would want to produce, informed by the incredible amount of data that it has been trained on. —Mark Zastrow, Discover Magazine, 29 Dec. 2022

Amazon says reinforcement learning has enabled it to hold 12% less inventory. —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 13 Dec. 2022

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Word History

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

reinforcement

noun

re·​in·​force·​ment ˌrē-ən-ˈfōr-smənt 

-ˈfȯr-

1

: the action of reinforcing : the state of being reinforced

2

: something that reinforces

Medical Definition

reinforcement

noun

re·​in·​force·​ment ˌrē-ən-ˈfōr-smənt, -ˈfȯr- 

: 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 sense 1