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
Surely somebody was on the inside, holding power, and yet everybody here felt iced out, their privilege and their victimhood irreducible against one another; each personal combination private, hurtful, and too tender to touch.
—
Daisy Hildyard, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024
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
Reclaim what is unique and irreducible in these encounters—what cannot be accounted for by the systemic analysis.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2024
Ronald Bronstein, 2007) Ronald Bronstein’s sole directorial effort thrums with irreducible personality, an entrée into a chaotic, claustrophobic state of mind within an unforgiving urban environment.
—Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for irreducible
Daisy Hildyard, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024
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
Reclaim what is unique and irreducible in these encounters—what cannot be accounted for by the systemic analysis.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2024
Ronald Bronstein, 2007) Ronald Bronstein’s sole directorial effort thrums with irreducible personality, an entrée into a chaotic, claustrophobic state of mind within an unforgiving urban environment.
—Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for irreducible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irreducible
Adjective
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The Court of International Trade previously rejected the small businesses' request to temporarily pause the tariffs while their lawsuit went forward, but then quickly scheduled Tuesday’s court hearing to decide whether to rule against the tariffs or impose a longer-term pause.—
Dietrich Knauth,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
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Instead, Atkinson took up golf for the first time and renewed his connection to scientific research, not the least of which was how a small white ball repeatedly avoids a hole in the ground.—
Barbara Bry,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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In some cases, lawyers said students had their legal statuses altered for minor traffic violations, such as unpaid parking tickets.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
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Nina and Jim are forced to work overtime to re-center key story components that get lost amid more minor twists and turns.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
15 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Irreducible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irreducible. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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