[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

strengthen \strength"en\, v. t. imp.  p. p. strengthened; p.
   pr.  vb. n. strengthening.
   1. to make strong or stronger; to add strength to; as, to
      strengthen a limb, a bridge, an army; to strengthen an
      obligation; to strengthen authority.
      1913 webster

            let noble warwick, cobham, and the rest, . . .
            with powerful policy strengthen themselves. --shak.
      1913 webster

   2. to animate; to encourage; to fix in resolution.
      1913 webster

            charge joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen
            him.                                  --deut. iii.
                                                  28.
      1913 webster

   syn: to invigorate; confirm; establish; fortify; animate;
        encourage.
        1913 webster
see also:
strengthened strengthening 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

strengthening \strength"ening\, a.
   that strengthens; giving or increasing strength. --
   strength"eningly, adv.
   1913 webster

   strengthening plaster med., a plaster containing iron,
      and supposed to have tonic effects.
      1913 webster
see also:
strength"eningly strengthening plaster 

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

strengthening
     adj : invigorating physically or mentally syn: fortifying
     n 1: becoming stronger ant: weakening
     2: the act of increasing the strength of something ant: weakening
see also:
fortifying weakening 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

69 moby thesaurus words for "strengthening":
   accelerando, acceleration, affirmation, aggravation, analeptic,
   attestation, authentication, backing, backing up, bearing out,
   beefing-up, blowing up, blowup, bolstering, bracing, buttressing,
   case hardening, certification, circumstantiation, concentration,
   condensation, confirmation, consolidation, corroborant,
   corroboration, corroboratory evidence, deepening, documentation,
   enhancement, exacerbation, exaggeration, explosion, fortification,
   hardening, heating-up, heightening, information explosion,
   intensification, invigorating, invigoration, magnification, pickup,
   population explosion, proof, proving, proving out, ratification,
   redoubling, refreshing, refreshment, reinforcement, reinvigoration,
   restorative, restrengthening, revivification, reviving, roborant,
   speedup, step-up, stimulating, substantiation, support,
   supporting evidence, tempering, tightening, tonic, undergirding,
   validation, verification

Strengthening >> S Words
Strengthening, definition of term: Strengthening
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