self-reinforcing
adjective
self-re·in·forc·ing
ˌself-ˌrē-ən-ˈfȯr-siŋ 
: tending or serving to strengthen itself : reinforcing itself
According to this thinking, a self-reinforcing feedback loop—bigger brains, better tools, more food—drove forward the process of human evolution.—
Michael Rothschild
Michael RothschildJust as many negative behaviors are self-reinforcing, we often view related positive behaviors as more trouble than they're worth.—Colleen Dunn Bates
Colleen Dunn BatesExamples of self-reinforcing in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The securitization cycle has placed Iran, the region, and NATO countries, particularly the United States, in a complex and self-reinforcing predicament.
—Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025
The result is a self-reinforcing cycle of low energy, low productivity, and economic concentration in extraction and agriculture, while higher-value industrial growth stalls or withers.
—W. Gyude Moore, semafor.com, 22 Dec. 2025
Zandi regards this spending as one of the last buffers preventing the slowdown from becoming self-reinforcing.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 9 Dec. 2025
Scientists warn that massive, self-reinforcing changes could be set off, having devastating impacts around the world.
—Rebecca Hersher, NPR, 19 Nov. 2025
Understanding how to win awards becomes crucial in this self-reinforcing cycle, where excellence and awards systems transform good hotels into great ones and great ones into industry legends.
—Ascend Agency, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
This creates what Grvt hopes will be a self-reinforcing cycle.
—Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
But if businesses start to increase layoffs, then that'll set off a kind of self-reinforcing vicious cycle—layoffs, less spending, less spending, more layoffs.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Together, the Holocaust and Israel provided a self-reinforcing narrative of Jewish history, Jewish identity, and Jewish destiny.
—Daniel May, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
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Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025
The result is a self-reinforcing cycle of low energy, low productivity, and economic concentration in extraction and agriculture, while higher-value industrial growth stalls or withers.
—W. Gyude Moore, semafor.com, 22 Dec. 2025
Zandi regards this spending as one of the last buffers preventing the slowdown from becoming self-reinforcing.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 9 Dec. 2025
Scientists warn that massive, self-reinforcing changes could be set off, having devastating impacts around the world.
—Rebecca Hersher, NPR, 19 Nov. 2025
Understanding how to win awards becomes crucial in this self-reinforcing cycle, where excellence and awards systems transform good hotels into great ones and great ones into industry legends.
—Ascend Agency, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
This creates what Grvt hopes will be a self-reinforcing cycle.
—Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
But if businesses start to increase layoffs, then that'll set off a kind of self-reinforcing vicious cycle—layoffs, less spending, less spending, more layoffs.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Together, the Holocaust and Israel provided a self-reinforcing narrative of Jewish history, Jewish identity, and Jewish destiny.
—Daniel May, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-reinforcing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-reinforcing. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.
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