Meaning & use
reenforce
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Meanings
verbtransitiverare
A less common spelling of reinforce: to make something stronger or firmer by adding extra support.
Grammar: Takes an object: reenforce the wall. Reinforce is the standard spelling.
Patterns
- reenforce something
- reenforce something with something
The builders reenforced the old bridge with steel beams.
Regular practice reenforces what you learn in class.
The army reenforced its defenses along the river.
verbtransitiverare
A less common spelling of reinforce in the sense of strengthening an idea, a feeling or a habit.
Grammar: Often the subject is an event or evidence: the results reenforce the theory.
Patterns
- reenforce a belief
- reenforce a message
The story reenforced her belief that hard work matters.
Teachers use praise to reenforce good behavior.
The latest data reenforces the earlier findings.
Word forms
| third person singular | reenforces |
|---|---|
| past tense | reenforced |
| past participle | reenforced |
| -ing form | reenforcing |
Common combinations
- reenforce a wall
- They had to reenforce the wall before building higher.
- reenforce a message
- The ad aims to reenforce the brand's message.
- reenforce a belief
- The news reenforced his belief in the plan.
- reenforce the structure
- Extra beams will reenforce the structure.
- reenforce learning
- Quizzes reenforce learning.
Synonyms and how they differ
- reinforce
- Reinforce is the standard spelling, and edited writing should use it instead of reenforce.
- strengthen
- Strengthen is the plain word for making stronger, while reinforce suggests adding something to support what is already there.
- fortify
- Fortify suggests making a place defensible or a person more resistant, while reinforce covers many kinds of support.
- bolster
- Bolster is used for supporting an argument, morale or confidence, and is slightly more figurative than reenforce.
Opposites
Word family
- reinforce verb
- the standard spelling of this verb
- reinforcement noun
- extra support, or extra troops sent to help
- reinforced adjective
- made stronger with extra material
- reenforcement noun
- a rare variant spelling of reinforcement
Commonly confused: reenforce or reinforce? reenforce or enforce?
reenforce vs reinforce
Reinforce is the correct standard spelling, so use it in essays, reports and formal writing.
reenforce vs enforce
Enforce means to make people obey a rule, not to strengthen something.
Practice
Which spelling should you use in a formal essay about strengthening a bridge?
Choose one answer.
Reinforce is the standard spelling in edited writing. The other forms appear occasionally but are considered nonstandard or incorrect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “reenforce”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.