irreducible

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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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.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irreducible
Adjective
  • Even if advised by a manufacturer, the marble cleaning solution should still be tested on a small, inconspicuous area before getting started.
    Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Her list continues with small but frustrating oversights.
    Ashley Vega, People.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The higher the position, the greater the visibility, and the more costly even minor lapses become.
    Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Blue jumpsuits indicate an immigration infraction or a minor criminal charge; red ones denote a more serious crime.
    Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Irreducible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irreducible. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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