reinforcements
reinforcements — noun
1. people, equipment, or supplies sent to support and increase the combat power of
people, equipment, or supplies sent to support and increase the combat power of a military unit that is already fighting.
Colonel Dario radioed headquarters to request reinforcements as enemy forces advanced on the hill.
request reinforcements — ask for military backup
Without fresh reinforcements, Esteban knew his squad could not hold the bridge much longer.
The navy sent reinforcements to the damaged warship before the second attack began.
An armored convoy carrying reinforcements was delayed by a landslide on the mountain road.
The general ordered three battalions of reinforcements to move to the front line at dawn.
- backup
more general, used in both military and civilian contexts
- support
broader meaning, can refer to any kind of help
- additional troops
specifically about soldiers rather than supplies or equipment
文法句型
reinforcements + verb (plural)
send/call for/request reinforcements
用法筆記
Always used in the plural form when referring to troops, supplies, or equipment sent to support a military force. The singular 'reinforcement' is reserved for senses 2, 3, and 4 (the process or an item that strengthens).
常見錯誤
2. the process of making something stronger, more powerful, or more effective by ad
the process of making something stronger, more powerful, or more effective by adding extra support.
Weight training at the gym gives slow but steady reinforcement of your core muscles over several weeks.
reinforcement of muscles — strengthening through exercise
Brian believes that regular reinforcement of good study habits leads to better exam results.
Daily practice provides steady reinforcement of the piano skills you learn each week.
Playing chess regularly offers excellent reinforcement of strategic thinking skills for players at any level.
- strengthening
more general, less technical
- consolidation
suggests making something more solid or stable
- weakening
the opposite process, making something less strong
文法句型
reinforcement of + noun
用法筆記
Used in general contexts for the strengthening of physical abilities, skills, habits, or structures through repeated effort or added support. The technical psychology sense of 'positive/negative reinforcement' belongs to sense 5.
常見錯誤
3. something that makes an idea, opinion, or behavior stronger so that it is more l
something that makes an idea, opinion, or behavior stronger so that it is more likely to continue.
Customer feedback provided strong reinforcement for the store's decision to stay open later.
reinforcement for a decision — evidence supporting a choice
Hiro found powerful reinforcement for his views in a recent study on sleep and memory.
The growing sales figures acted as reinforcement for the team's new marketing approach.
Ada considered her friend's success story a welcome reinforcement of her own career goals.
- confirmation
implies that something is shown to be true or correct
- support
broader, includes emotional and material help
- undermining
weakening or damaging an idea or belief
文法句型
reinforcement for + noun
act as reinforcement
serve as reinforcement
用法筆記
Use the preposition 'for' when the reinforcement supports a decision or opinion, and 'of' when it strengthens a state or quality. The count noun form (as in 'a reinforcement') is less common than the uncountable use in sense 2.
4. a material or part added to a structure or object to prevent damage at a point w
a material or part added to a structure or object to prevent damage at a point where it might break or fail.
Omar checked the steel reinforcement inside the concrete pillars before the pour began.
steel reinforcement — metal bars inside concrete
The old wooden shelf needed metal reinforcement at the corners to hold the heavy books.
Ife inspected the fiberglass reinforcement on the boat hull before the long voyage.
Workers added steel reinforcement bars to the bridge columns to meet the new safety rules.
文法句型
steel/concrete/fiberglass reinforcement
reinforcement bar/mesh
用法筆記
Often used with a preceding material noun (steel reinforcement, fiberglass reinforcement). In construction contexts, 'rebar' (short for reinforcing bar) is a common alternative for steel reinforcement bars.
常見錯誤
5. in psychology, a reward or punishment that follows a behavior and makes that beh
in psychology, a reward or punishment that follows a behavior and makes that behavior more likely or less likely to happen again.
Min used sticker charts as positive reinforcement to help her son finish homework daily.
positive reinforcement — reward to encourage desired behavior
In the experiment, rats received food as reinforcement each time they pressed a bar.
Sivan studied how negative reinforcement can reduce disruptive behavior in elementary classrooms.
Jessica noticed that social media likes acted as a powerful reinforcement for her posting habits.
- punishment
a consequence designed to decrease a behavior, not increase it
文法句型
positive/negative reinforcement
reinforcement + verb (shapes/increases/decreases)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2: sense 2 describes the general process of strengthening anything, while sense 5 is a specific technical term in psychology. Psychologists classify two main types: positive reinforcement (adding a pleasant consequence) and negative reinforcement (removing an unpleasant condition). This is NOT the same as punishment, which aims to decrease a behavior.