as in small
formal
not able to be made smaller or simpler
They thought the world was made up of four irreducible elements: earth, air, fire, and water. an irreducible fraction
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Recent Examples of irreducible
The Doomsday Clock is also political, picturing conditions that collectively contribute to the irreducible reality of a world in peril.
—
Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Increasing blessedness tends to anesthetize personality, but, especially in Hell, Dante’s characters are irreducible individuals, vivid and particular.
—Elisa Gonzalez, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
The refined view of entropy is one that sheds the false dreams of total efficiency and perfect prediction and instead concedes the irreducible uncertainty in the world.
—Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2024
Policymakers should challenge the presumption that there is an irreducible tradeoff between data analysis and privacy—the notion that although more data may improve the accuracy of models for the public good, the cost to privacy is too high.
—Andrew Imbrie, Foreign Affairs, 19 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for irreducible
Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Increasing blessedness tends to anesthetize personality, but, especially in Hell, Dante’s characters are irreducible individuals, vivid and particular.
—Elisa Gonzalez, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
The refined view of entropy is one that sheds the false dreams of total efficiency and perfect prediction and instead concedes the irreducible uncertainty in the world.
—Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2024
Policymakers should challenge the presumption that there is an irreducible tradeoff between data analysis and privacy—the notion that although more data may improve the accuracy of models for the public good, the cost to privacy is too high.
—Andrew Imbrie, Foreign Affairs, 19 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for irreducible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irreducible
Adjective
-
Aalo expects to complete construction and reach criticality by July 4, 2026, a timeline the company says demonstrates the speed at which small, modular nuclear reactors can be deployed.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Snap up travel essentials, comfy pajamas, small kitchen must-haves, and more gems.—
Isabel Garcia,
People.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Use them to freshen up during a layover or deal with a minor spill.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Tariffs, smelter delays, and fluctuating aluminum prices represent significant risks, and with shares already priced for cyclical uncertainty, even minor setbacks could maintain pressure on the stock.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Irreducible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irreducible. Accessed 6 Sep. 2025.
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