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 For the most part, these 1930s westerns depicted at least their principal Black characters with dignity, though reductive comic stereotypes were present, too. Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024 The plan was to create a car that impressed by a reductive design, drawing attention to what isn’t there as much as what is. Alistair Charlton, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 And the hook-up between Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) felt like a reductive moment for a fascinating double act. Darren Franich, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024 Of course, that required a certain amount of reductive storytelling — the compression of time, the conflation of characters, an oversimplification of ideas — but every movie must fight its way to life. New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024 But to others, focusing on a few broad elements felt too reductive. Jasper Davidoff, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024 In a lesser, more reductive Hollywood exercise, these two very different characters would eventually surrender, cooing, into each other’s arms and live happily after. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2024 The framing of this financially, critically, and culturally successful box-office juggernaut as a victim of the patriarchy has awakened one notable defender in — oh my God, of course — Hillary Clinton, who has found common cause with the reductive feminism at play here. Vulture, 24 Jan. 2024 But to think that these reactions are simply about Nolan and Scorsese’s choices is reductive, dismissive of the directors’ right to creative autonomy and missing the point. Rebecca Sun, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reductive.' 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

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 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

reductive

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

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