reinforce

English

Alternative forms

• re-enforce, reenforce

Etymology

re- +‎ inforce

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌɹiː.ɪnˈfɔːs/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌɹi.ɪnˈfɔɹs/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˌɹiː.ɪnˈfoːs/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)s
• Homophone: reenforce

Verb

reinforce (third-person singular simple present reinforces, present participle reinforcing, simple past and past participle reinforced)

2. (transitive) To strengthen, especially by addition or augmentation.

   He reinforced the handle with a metal rod and a bit of tape.

3. (transitive) To emphasize or review.

   The right homework will reinforce and complement the lesson!

   • 2021 February 24, Greg Morse, “Great Heck: a tragic chain of events”, in RAIL, number 925, page 42:

     The accident was also one of several since Clapham [...] that demonstrated the role of breakable windows in the death toll. RSSB research would later confirm and reinforce the need for laminated glass to protect passengers and increase survivability.

4. (transitive) To encourage (a behavior or idea) through repeated stimulus.

   Advertising for fast food can reinforce unhealthy dietary tendencies.

Synonyms

• (strengthen): strengthen, augment, fortify, buttress, bolster, line
• (emphasize): emphasize, review, repeat
• (encourage): encourage, reward, instruct, teach, learn

Translations

to strengthen by addition

• Arabic: قَوَّى‎ (qawwā)
• Bulgarian: подсилвам (bg) (podsilvam), укрепвам (bg) (ukrepvam)
• Catalan: reforçar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 加強／加强 (zh) (jiāqiáng)

• Dutch: versterken (nl), vergroten (nl), verhogen (nl)
• Finnish: vahvistaa (fi), tukea (fi) (structure, building)
• French: renforcer (fr)
• Galician: reforzar
• Georgian: გამყარება (gamq̇areba)
• German: verstärken (de), aussteifen, versteifen (de)
• Gothic: 𐍄𐌿𐌻𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 (tulgjan)
• Greek: ενισχύω (el) (enischýo)
• Hebrew: חִזֵּק‎ (he) (ẖizzéq)
• Hungarian: megerősít (hu), megszilárdít (hu), merevít (hu)
• Irish: neartaigh, treisigh
• Italian: rinforzare (it)
• Japanese: 補強する (ja) (ほきょうする, hokyō suru), 加強 (ja) (kakyō)
• Korean: 보강하다 (bogang-hada)
• Latin: corrōborō
• Macedonian: по́тсили (pótsili), за́јакне (zájakne), по́ткрепи (pótkrepi)
• Maori: whakakaha, taunaki, whakamarohi
• Persian: تقویت کردن‎ (taqviyat kardan)
• Portuguese: reforçar (pt)
• Russian: подкрепля́ть (ru) impf (podkrepljátʹ), подкрепи́ть (ru) pf (podkrepítʹ), укрепля́ть (ru) impf (ukrepljátʹ), укрепи́ть (ru) pf (ukrepítʹ)
• Spanish: reforzar (es)
• Swedish: förstärka (sv), armera (sv)
• Turkish: sağlamlaştırmak (tr), kuvvetlendirmek (tr), takviye etmek (tr), tahkim etmek (tr) (archaic), pekiştirmek (tr), berkitmek (tr)

to emphasize or review

• Bulgarian: усилвам (bg) (usilvam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 再次鼓励，再次强调

• Dutch: benadrukken (nl)
• Finnish: vahvistaa (fi), tukea (fi)
• French: renforcer (fr)
• Galician: reforzar
• German: festigen (de)
• Hungarian: ^{(please verify)} átismétel (hu), ^{(please verify)} felfrissít (hu), ^{(please verify)} megszilárdít (hu)
• Italian: rafforzare (it), ribadire (it)
• Macedonian: за́цврсти (zácvrsti), за́сили (zásili)
• Maori: haukaha
• Portuguese: reforçar (pt)
• Russian: уси́ливать (ru) impf (usílivatʹ), уси́лить (ru) pf (usílitʹ)
• Spanish: reforzar (es)
• Turkish: pekiştirmek (tr)

to encourage

• Finnish: kannustaa (fi), rohkaista (fi)
• German: bekräftigen (de), verstärken (de)
• Hungarian: erősít (hu), felerősít (hu), megerősít (hu), megszilárdít (hu)
• Italian: incoraggiare (it)
• Macedonian: по́ттикне (póttikne)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Irish: ^{(please verify)} athneartaigh

Anagrams

• confrerie