# encouragement

Pronunciation: US say "in-KUR-ij-muhnt" /ɪnˈkɝɪd͡ʒmənt/; UK say "in-KU-rij-muhnt" /ɪnˈkʌɹɪd͡ʒmənt/

## Noun

1. Something said or done that makes a person feel more confident.
   - Simple: Kind words or actions that help someone feel more sure of themselves.
   - _A few words of encouragement from her coach settled her nerves before the race._
   - _The crowd's encouragement carried the runners through the final mile._
2. The act of giving support, confidence, or hope to someone.
   - Simple: The act of helping someone feel brave or hopeful.
   - _Her mentor's steady encouragement of her early drafts kept the novel alive._
   - _Encouragement of open debate is built into the seminar's design._
3. Something that incites, supports, promotes, protects, or advances someone or something; an incentive.
   - Simple: Something that gives people a reason to do something, like a prize or reward.
   - _A cash bonus for finishing early was all the encouragement the crew needed to work through the weekend._
   - _The grant program offers encouragement to farmers who plant cover crops._
4. The feeling of renewed hope or confidence produced by support from others.
   - Simple: The hopeful feeling you get when other people support you.
   - _Reading the early reviews, she drew real encouragement from how warmly critics responded._
   - _The team found encouragement in their steady improvement over the season._

## Origin

Borrowed from Middle French "encoragement."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/encouragement (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).