self-reinforcing
adjective
self-re·in·forc·ing
ˌself-ˌrē-ən-ˈfȯr-siŋ 
: tending or serving to strengthen itself : reinforcing itself
According to this thinking, a self-reinforcing feedback loop—bigger brains, better tools, more food—drove forward the process of human evolution.—
Michael Rothschild
Michael RothschildJust as many negative behaviors are self-reinforcing, we often view related positive behaviors as more trouble than they're worth.—Colleen Dunn Bates
Colleen Dunn BatesExamples of self-reinforcing in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Left alone, this combination can become self-reinforcing, with more capital funding more labor displacement, which in turn generates more returns to capital, which funds more automation.
—Ravi Kumar S, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
If people believed that inner joy was an index of personal redemption, then some might also read their own low mood as signs of their abandonment by God and fall into a vicious circle of self-reinforcing anguish.
—Literary Hub, 10 Mar. 2026
Large players like Apple, Walmart and Amazon have taken the lead in pushing vendors to disclose their own carbon footprints, which has created self-reinforcing ecosystems that aren’t about to unwind.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Ramp is executing a similar playbook and scaling rapidly with an ever-growing (and self-reinforcing) product suite.
—Alex Lazarow, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
One can reason through the sort of self-reinforcing feedback loop this establishes.
—Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
In this way, inflation can become self-reinforcing.
—Raghuram Rajan, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
The securitization cycle has placed Iran, the region, and NATO countries, particularly the United States, in a complex and self-reinforcing predicament.
—Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025
Scientists warn that massive, self-reinforcing changes could be set off, having devastating impacts around the world.
—Rebecca Hersher, NPR, 19 Nov. 2025
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Ravi Kumar S, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
If people believed that inner joy was an index of personal redemption, then some might also read their own low mood as signs of their abandonment by God and fall into a vicious circle of self-reinforcing anguish.
—Literary Hub, 10 Mar. 2026
Large players like Apple, Walmart and Amazon have taken the lead in pushing vendors to disclose their own carbon footprints, which has created self-reinforcing ecosystems that aren’t about to unwind.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Ramp is executing a similar playbook and scaling rapidly with an ever-growing (and self-reinforcing) product suite.
—Alex Lazarow, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
One can reason through the sort of self-reinforcing feedback loop this establishes.
—Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
In this way, inflation can become self-reinforcing.
—Raghuram Rajan, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
The securitization cycle has placed Iran, the region, and NATO countries, particularly the United States, in a complex and self-reinforcing predicament.
—Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025
Scientists warn that massive, self-reinforcing changes could be set off, having devastating impacts around the world.
—Rebecca Hersher, NPR, 19 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-reinforcing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-reinforcing. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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