re·in·force·ment 
/ˌri:jənˈfoɚsmənt/ noun
plural re·in·force·ments /ˌri:jənˈfoɚsmənt/ noun 1 reinforcements [plural] : people and supplies that are sent to help or support an army, military force, etc.
▪ “We're outnumbered! Call for reinforcements!” ▪ We need to prevent enemy reinforcements from reaching the front line. 2 a [noncount] : the act of strengthening or encouraging something
▪ The bridge is in need of reinforcement. ▪ the reinforcement of stereotypes
b [count] : a thing that strengthens or encourages something
▪ The teacher introduced the new vocabulary words and then used a game as a reinforcement. [=as something that would help the students understand/remember the words] 3 : a response to someone's behavior that is intended to make that person more likely to behave that way again [count] ▪ positive/negative reinforcements [noncount] ▪ You should encourage good behavior with positive reinforcement.
▪ “We're outnumbered! Call for reinforcements!” ▪ We need to prevent enemy reinforcements from reaching the front line.
▪ The bridge is in need of reinforcement. ▪ the reinforcement of stereotypes
b [count] : a thing that strengthens or encourages something
▪ The teacher introduced the new vocabulary words and then used a game as a reinforcement. [=as something that would help the students understand/remember the words]
