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Definition of reinforce verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

reinforce

verb
 
/ˌriːɪnˈfɔːs/
 
/ˌriːɪnˈfɔːrs/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they reinforce
 
/ˌriːɪnˈfɔːs/
 
/ˌriːɪnˈfɔːrs/
he / she / it reinforces
 
/ˌriːɪnˈfɔːsɪz/
 
/ˌriːɪnˈfɔːrsɪz/
past simple reinforced
 
/ˌriːɪnˈfɔːst/
 
/ˌriːɪnˈfɔːrst/
past participle reinforced
 
/ˌriːɪnˈfɔːst/
 
/ˌriːɪnˈfɔːrst/
-ing form reinforcing
 
/ˌriːɪnˈfɔːsɪŋ/
 
/ˌriːɪnˈfɔːrsɪŋ/
jump to other results
  1. reinforce something to make a feeling, an idea, etc. stronger
    • The experience reinforced my sense of loss.
    • Such jokes tend to reinforce gender stereotypes.
    • The climate of political confusion has only reinforced the country's economic decline.
    • Success in the talks will reinforce his reputation as an international statesman.
    Extra Examples
    • All this simply reinforces my earlier point.
    • Our prejudices are subtly reinforced in many different ways.
    • This report strongly reinforces the view that the system must be changed.
    • Violence and rejection by society are mutually reinforcing.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • greatly
    • powerfully
    • strongly
    verb + reinforce
    • help (to)
    • serve to
    • tend to
    See full entry
  2. reinforce something to make a structure or material stronger, especially by adding another material to it
    • All buildings are now reinforced to withstand earthquakes.
    • reinforced plastic/steel/concrete
    • The door was built of oak, heavily reinforced with iron.
    Topics Physics and chemistryc1, Buildingsc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • heavily
    preposition
    • with
    See full entry
  3. reinforce something to send more people or equipment in order to make an army, etc. stronger
    • The UN has undertaken to reinforce its military presence along the borders.
  4. Word Originlate Middle English: from French renforcer, influenced by inforce, an obsolete spelling of enforce; the sense of providing military support is probably from Italian rinforzare.
See reinforce in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee reinforce in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
given
adjective
 
 
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