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
Unless, that is, generational identity becomes self-reinforcing.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 24 Apr. 2026
Producer organizations are cost-effective, demand-driven, and self-reinforcing.
—Shobha Shetty, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
What begins as a policy response to fiscal strain can quickly become a self-reinforcing dynamic that leads to hyperinflation.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Apr. 2026
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
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
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Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 24 Apr. 2026
Producer organizations are cost-effective, demand-driven, and self-reinforcing.
—Shobha Shetty, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
What begins as a policy response to fiscal strain can quickly become a self-reinforcing dynamic that leads to hyperinflation.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Apr. 2026
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
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
Cite this Entry
“Self-reinforcing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-reinforcing. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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