noun · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌɹiːɪnˈfɔːsmənt/
Canada, General-American:/ˌɹiɪnˈfoɹsmənt/
Midwestern-US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian:/ˌɹiːɪnˈfoːsmənt/
New-Zealand:/ˌɹiːənˈfoːsmənt/
CMU ARPABET:R IY2 IH0 N F AO1 R S M AH0 N T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The act, process, or state of reinforcing or being reinforced.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A thing that reinforces.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
Examples
There's a website that can be a good learning reinforcement.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, in-plural, uncountable
Examples
Send in the reinforcements!
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
The process whereby a behavior with desirable consequences comes to be repeated.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Qualifier: behavioral psychology
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A small round white sticker placed around a punched hole in a piece of paper to prevent the binder's rings from tearing through the paper.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
a military operation (often involving new supplies of men and materiel) to strengthen a military force or aid in the performance of its mission
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
they called for artillery support
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: support, reenforcement
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: operation, military operation
Narrower terms: close support
7
noun
Meaning 7
an act performed to strengthen approved behavior
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: reward
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: blessing, approval, approving
Narrower terms: carrot
8
noun
Meaning 8
a device designed to provide additional strength
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the cardboard backing was just a strengthener
he used gummed reinforcements to hold the page in his notebook
information that makes more forcible or convincing
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
his gestures provided eloquent reinforcement for his complaints
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: reenforcement
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: confirmation
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Italic *wre- Latin re-der. Old French re-bor. Middle English re- English re- English inforce English reinforce Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-mentom Latin -mentum Old French -mentbor. Middle English -ment English -ment English reinforcement From reinforce + -ment.
Across languages
Translations
85 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
ամրապնդում
(amrapndum)
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Bulgarian:
подсилване
(podsilvane)
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Bulgarian:
укрепване
(ukrepvane)
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Catalan:
reforç
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Catalan:
reforçament
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Danish:
forstærkning
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Finnish:
vahvistaminen
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
French:
renfort
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Galician:
reforzo
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Galician:
reforzamento
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Georgian:
გამაგრება
(gamagreba)
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Georgian:
განმტკიცება
(ganmṭḳiceba)
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Georgian:
გაძლიერება
(gaʒliereba)
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Georgian:
შევსება
(ševseba)
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
German:
Verstärkung
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Hungarian:
megerősítés
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Hungarian:
megerősödés
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Irish:
athneartú
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Macedonian:
потсилу́вање
(potsilúvanje)
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Norwegian Bokmål:
forsterkning
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Norwegian Nynorsk:
forsterkning
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Persian:
تقویت
(taqviyat)
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Polish:
wzmocnienie
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Polish:
wsparcie
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Russian:
укрепле́ние
(ukreplénije)
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Russian:
усиле́ние
(usilénije)
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Spanish:
refuerzo
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Spanish:
reforzamiento
— act or state of reinforcing or being reinforced
Bulgarian:
подкрепа
(podkrepa)
— thing that reinforces
Catalan:
reforç
— thing that reinforces
Danish:
forstærkning
— thing that reinforces
Danish:
støtte
— thing that reinforces
Dutch:
versterking
— thing that reinforces
Finnish:
vahvike
— thing that reinforces
Finnish:
lujike
— thing that reinforces
French:
renfort
— thing that reinforces
Galician:
reforzo
— thing that reinforces
Galician:
reforzamento
— thing that reinforces
German:
Verstärkung
— thing that reinforces
Greek:
ενδυνάμωση
(endynámosi)
— thing that reinforces
Italian:
rinforzo
— thing that reinforces
Polish:
wzmocnienie
— thing that reinforces
Polish:
wsparcie
— thing that reinforces
Portuguese:
reforço
— thing that reinforces
Spanish:
refuerzo
— thing that reinforces
Swedish:
förstärkning
— thing that reinforces
Armenian:
օգնական ուժեր
(ōgnakan užer)
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Bulgarian:
подкрепление
(podkreplenie)
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Danish:
forstærkning
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Danish:
støtte
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Finnish:
apuvoimat
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Finnish:
vahvistukset
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
French:
renforts
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Galician:
reforzo
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Galician:
reforzamento
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Georgian:
საჯარისო შენაერთის გაძლიერება
(saǯariso šenaertis gaʒliereba)
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Georgian:
საჯარისო შენაერთის შევსება
(saǯariso šenaertis ševseba)
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Georgian:
დამატებითი აღჭურვილობით მომარაგება
(damaṭebiti aɣč̣urvilobit momarageba)
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
German:
Verstärkung
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Greek:
ενίσχυση
(eníschysi)
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Hungarian:
utánpótlás
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Hungarian:
segédcsapatok
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Hungarian:
megerősítő csapatok
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Hungarian:
erősítés
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Indonesian:
bala bantuan
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Japanese:
援兵
(enpei)
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Latin:
supplēmentum
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Macedonian:
засилу́вање
(zasilúvanje)
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Māori:
ope whakahirihiri
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Māori:
whaitaua
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Norwegian Bokmål:
forsterkninger
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Norwegian Nynorsk:
forsterkningar
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Polish:
posiłki
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Portuguese:
reforços
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Russian:
подкрепле́ние
(podkreplénije)
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Russian:
пополне́ние
(popolnénije)
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Spanish:
refuerzo
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Turkish:
imdat
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Ottoman Turkish:
امداد
(imdad)
— in plural: additional troops or materiel sent to support a military action
Bulgarian:
утвърждение
(utvǎrždenie)
— behavioral psychology: process whereby a behavior with desirable consequences comes to be repeated
Danish:
forstærkning
— behavioral psychology: process whereby a behavior with desirable consequences comes to be repeated
Finnish:
vahvistaminen
— behavioral psychology: process whereby a behavior with desirable consequences comes to be repeated
German:
Verstärkung
— behavioral psychology: process whereby a behavior with desirable consequences comes to be repeated
Hungarian:
megerősítés
— behavioral psychology: process whereby a behavior with desirable consequences comes to be repeated
Portuguese:
reforço
— behavioral psychology: process whereby a behavior with desirable consequences comes to be repeated
