Reinforce

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˌɹiː.ɪnˈfɔːs/

Definitions

1. To strengthen or support something by adding extra material, people, or resources to make it more resistant or effective
2. To enhance the strength or effectiveness of an object, idea, or system by adding supplementary components or support
3. To provide additional support, material, or resources to increase the durability or impact of something that already exists

Etymology: "Reinforce" is built from two parts: the prefix "re-", meaning again or back, and "inforce," an older English verb meaning to strengthen. "Inforce" itself came into English from Old French "enforcier," which drew on Latin "fortis," strong, and so the core idea of the word has been about making something stronger since the start. Adding "re-" intensified the sense of renewing or adding further strength, as in fortifying a wall that has already been built. The prefix has a longer history than the English word. Its ancestor reaches back through Latin "re-" to a Proto-Italic form, and it passed through Old French, which gave Middle English a stock of verbs built the same way. English then took the two parts together, and the compound settled into the sense we use today, of providing additional support or strength to something that needs it.

Synonyms: strengthen, support, bolster, augment, enhance

Antonyms: weaken, diminish, reduce, undermine, impair