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
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
Examples of reinforcement in a Sentence
“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
Today, Japan’s armed forces provide round-the-clock reinforcement to U.S. military aircraft, ships, and personnel in the region.
—Tomohiko Taniguchi, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024
But new footage of the bots dribbling, defending, and shooting goals shows off just how good a coach deep reinforcement learning could be for humanoid machines.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 10 Apr. 2024
The operation tested just how quickly the alliance could speed reinforcements to Poland’s eastern border should Russia invade a member nation.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2024
On the other hand, positive reinforcement stimulates the 'seeking' behavior in individuals, encouraging exploration, rewarding risk taking, and promoting learning the adoption of new strategies.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Newsom is sending in reinforcements However, crime has been a major issue in Oakland: Robberies grew 38% last year.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024
When no reinforcements came, the soldiers abandoned their posts and fled to the border bridge, according to the KNU.
—Helen Regan, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
In a new paper published today in Science Robotics, researchers detail their recent efforts to adapt a machine learning subset known as deep reinforcement learning (deep RL) to teach bipedal bots a simplified version of the sport.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 10 Apr. 2024
Mary Mason has taken the lead on the lower portion of her block in the district’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood and often calls in reinforcements from the city.
—Sophie Hills, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2024
Tomohiko Taniguchi, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024
But new footage of the bots dribbling, defending, and shooting goals shows off just how good a coach deep reinforcement learning could be for humanoid machines.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 10 Apr. 2024
The operation tested just how quickly the alliance could speed reinforcements to Poland’s eastern border should Russia invade a member nation.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2024
On the other hand, positive reinforcement stimulates the 'seeking' behavior in individuals, encouraging exploration, rewarding risk taking, and promoting learning the adoption of new strategies.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Newsom is sending in reinforcements However, crime has been a major issue in Oakland: Robberies grew 38% last year.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024
When no reinforcements came, the soldiers abandoned their posts and fled to the border bridge, according to the KNU.
—Helen Regan, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
In a new paper published today in Science Robotics, researchers detail their recent efforts to adapt a machine learning subset known as deep reinforcement learning (deep RL) to teach bipedal bots a simplified version of the sport.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 10 Apr. 2024
Mary Mason has taken the lead on the lower portion of her block in the district’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood and often calls in reinforcements from the city.
—Sophie Hills, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reinforcement.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near reinforcement
Cite this Entry
“Reinforcement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reinforcement. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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