Definition of reinforce

The word "reinforce" comes from the French word "reinforcer," which means "to strengthen." The French word, in turn, is derived from the Latin words "re" meaning "again" and "fortis" meaning "strong." The Latin word "fortis" can be traced back to the Indo-European root word "per-," which has the meaning of "forward" or "forth." This root can be seen in other English words such as "promote" (Latin "promovere," from "pro" meaning "forward" and "movere" meaning "to move"), and "increase" (Latin "augere," from "in-" meaning "into" and "agera" meaning "to increase"). In English, the word "reinforce" originally appeared in the seventeenth century, first in the form "reinforcience" (meaning an improvement in condition) and later, in the form "reinforcement" (appearing in Captain Cook's journals in the late 1700s). The original meaning of "reinforce" in English was "to strengthen or solidify something," typically referring to materials used in construction. Over time, the meaning of the word has broadened to include actions taken to strengthen or support something, such as reinforcing a position or idea in debate or discussion. So, in summary, the word "reinforce" is derived from the French word "reinforcer," which comes from the Latin "fortis." The Latin root "per-" is found in other English words meaning "forward" or "forth." The word itself first appeared in English in the seventeenth century, with an original meaning of "strengthening or solidifying something."