reductive

adjective

re·​duc·​tive ri-ˈdək-tiv How to pronounce reductive (audio)
1
: of, relating to, causing, or involving reduction
2
: of or relating to reductionism : reductionistic
reductively adverb
reductiveness noun

Examples of reductive in a Sentence

a reductive interpretation of the theory
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This leads a lot of comedians to start getting weirdly rigid and reductive. Vulture Editors, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2024 If anything, this change feels reductive, harkening back to the series’ often flat and stereotypical depiction of women. Isaiah Colbert, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2024 For this plotline to work, the wife must be attuned, sometimes newly so, to herself, her unhappiness, her desires—a fictional extension of the powerful, if reductive, idea that women can protect themselves from harm by understanding their own wants and limits. Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2024 By embracing food politics in her platform, Harris could challenge these reductive stereotypes. Kelly Alexander, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for reductive 

Word History

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of reductive was in 1633

Dictionary Entries Near reductive

Cite this Entry

“Reductive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reductive. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

reductive

adjective
re·​duc·​tive ri-ˈdək-tiv How to pronounce reductive (audio)
: of, relating to, causing, or involving reduction

More from Merriam-Webster on reductive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!