Reinforcing

How to spell reinforcing

11 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce reinforcing

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does reinforcing mean?

1. verbStrengthening or supporting something, or making a behaviour or belief more firmly established.

Reinforcing in a sentence

• The builders spent the week reinforcing the crumbling foundations.

• Praising the team after each milestone was a way of reinforcing good habits.

Where does reinforcing come from?

Language of origin: French

The verb reinforce came into English in the early 1600s, modelled on the French renforcer, meaning 'to strengthen again'. It breaks down into the prefix re- 'again', the prefix in- 'into', and the core force, which traces back through Old French force to the Latin fortis, meaning 'strong' or 'brave'. The literal sense was therefore 'to put strength back into' something, and that military image of sending fresh troops to bolster an army shaped its earliest English uses. Over time the meaning broadened to cover strengthening any structure, argument, or behaviour, and the noun 'reinforcement' followed the same path. The same fortis root sits inside the everyday words 'fort', 'fortify', and 'effort', a useful reminder that the spelling keeps the full word force intact rather than reducing it.

How the word is built

• re- (again)
• in- (into)
• force (strength, from Latin fortis)
• -ing (present participle suffix)