self-reinforcing

adjective

self-re·​in·​forc·​ing
ˌself-ˌrē-ən-ˈfȯr-siŋ
 How to pronounce self-reinforcing (audio)
: 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
Just as many negative behaviors are self-reinforcing, we often view related positive behaviors as more trouble than they're worth.Colleen Dunn Bates

Examples of self-reinforcing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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That dynamic has turned the McKinsey ecosystem into a self-reinforcing loop of influence that embeds the firm’s worldview, language, and operating norms deep inside institutions that drive the international business arena. Ruth Umoh, Fortune, 25 Sep. 2025 This creates what Grvt hopes will be a self-reinforcing cycle. Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025 The core of the solution is to build an unshakable, self-reinforcing digital identity that leaves no room for confusion. Jason Barnard, Rolling Stone, 15 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 What makes this phenomenon particularly compelling is its self-reinforcing nature. Ascend Agency, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-reinforcing was in 1884

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Cite this Entry

“Self-reinforcing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-reinforcing. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

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