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
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
If managed carefully, this could accelerate development cycles and give OpenAI a self-reinforcing advantage in model training.
—Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
What makes this phenomenon particularly compelling is its self-reinforcing nature.
—Ascend Agency, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025
The fake profiles operated as a self-reinforcing cluster, with bots boosting one another’s posts to simulate grassroots consensus, the report said, and sought to amplify polarizing messages within British political discourse while promoting Iran as a model of unity and resistance.
—Deborah Danan, Sun Sentinel, 16 July 2025
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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
If managed carefully, this could accelerate development cycles and give OpenAI a self-reinforcing advantage in model training.
—Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
What makes this phenomenon particularly compelling is its self-reinforcing nature.
—Ascend Agency, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025
The fake profiles operated as a self-reinforcing cluster, with bots boosting one another’s posts to simulate grassroots consensus, the report said, and sought to amplify polarizing messages within British political discourse while promoting Iran as a model of unity and resistance.
—Deborah Danan, Sun Sentinel, 16 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-reinforcing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-reinforcing. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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