reductionism
noun
re·duc·tion·ism
ri-ˈdək-shə-ˌni-zəm 
1
: explanation of complex life-science processes and phenomena in terms of the laws of physics and chemistry
also
: a theory or doctrine that complete reductionism is possible
2
: a procedure or theory that reduces complex data and phenomena to simple terms
Examples of reductionism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Faux also employs this type of reductionism while breezily dismissing the entirety of crypto as a massive scam.
—
Byjeff John Roberts, Fortune Crypto, 12 Sep. 2023
Rosenberg holds out for reductionism, and seems to me to do a pretty good job at it.
—Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 3 Nov. 2010
And, at the very least, doubt is the antidote to dogma and fanaticism and reductionism.
—Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2023
The reductionism is hopeless.
—Daniel Henninger, WSJ, 2 June 2021
My banquet table was full of particle physicists and cosmologists -- pretty much the most sympathetic audience for reductionism one can possibly imagine.
—Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 21 Apr. 2011
Also, few people have strong feelings about non-gaussianities or neutrinos, but many people have strong feelings about reductionism.
—Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 22 Apr. 2011
To some extent this is building a case for pessimism about the power of reductionism in smoking out causal chains.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2012
The author covers the debates that raged in the 18th and 19th centuries between mechanists, who understood nature as a machine reducible to its discrete parts (reductionism), and vitalists who argued that this sum did not suffice to explain life.
—Siri Hustvedt, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2022
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Byjeff John Roberts, Fortune Crypto, 12 Sep. 2023
Rosenberg holds out for reductionism, and seems to me to do a pretty good job at it.
—Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 3 Nov. 2010
And, at the very least, doubt is the antidote to dogma and fanaticism and reductionism.
—Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2023
The reductionism is hopeless.
—Daniel Henninger, WSJ, 2 June 2021
My banquet table was full of particle physicists and cosmologists -- pretty much the most sympathetic audience for reductionism one can possibly imagine.
—Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 21 Apr. 2011
Also, few people have strong feelings about non-gaussianities or neutrinos, but many people have strong feelings about reductionism.
—Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 22 Apr. 2011
To some extent this is building a case for pessimism about the power of reductionism in smoking out causal chains.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2012
The author covers the debates that raged in the 18th and 19th centuries between mechanists, who understood nature as a machine reducible to its discrete parts (reductionism), and vitalists who argued that this sum did not suffice to explain life.
—Siri Hustvedt, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reductionism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1925, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Dictionary Entries Near reductionism
Cite this Entry
“Reductionism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reductionism. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
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Medical Definition
reductionism
noun
re·duc·tion·ism
ri-ˈdək-shə-ˌniz-əm
1
: the attempt to explain all biological processes by the same explanations (as by physical laws) that chemists and physicists use to interpret inanimate matter
also
: the theory that complete reductionism is possible
2
: a procedure or theory that reduces complex data or phenomena to simple terms
More from Merriam-Webster on reductionism
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about reductionism
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