reductive

adjective

re·​duc·​tive ri-ˈdək-tiv 

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

Rather than new attention on his body of work, much of it felt very reductive, solely focusing on that bag and a singular moment. —Essence, 3 Sep. 2025

Much like the lawman drowning his sorrows in alcohol, a robber named Robbie with Robin Hood-like tendencies may trigger some knee-jerk skepticism from viewers wary of reductive tropes. —Alison Herman, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025

Naomi holds her family together and tears it apart in ways that feel instantly familiar in unsettling or reductive ways. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025

Kay’s reductive portrayal of OCD obscures the very real suffering experienced by millions, and risks reinforcing the silence and isolation that so many are working to break. —Harper’s Magazine, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for reductive

• abductive
• conductive
• constructive
• deductive
• destructive
• inductive
• instructive
• obstructive
• productive
• seductive
• counterproductive
• photoconductive

Medical Definition

reductive

adjective

re·​duc·​tive ri-ˈdək-tiv 

: of, relating to, causing, or involving reduction