reductionist

[ ri-duhk-shuh-nist ]

adjective
  1. based on or explained by an analysis of the simplest or most basic factors of a complex phenomenon:A reductionist experiment is essential to isolating the impact of a single variable on the ecosystem as a whole.

  2. simplistic to the point of minimizing, obscuring, or distorting a complex idea, issue, or condition:Both stories describe the same reality, but your reductionist version fails to capture the full truth.

noun
  1. a person who believes that everything can be explained by reducing complex ideas or issues to their simplest component parts:To reductionists, all other worldviews are unscientific and sloppy, so they often choose to ignore evidence from observational studies.

Origin of reductionist

1

Other words from reductionist

  • re·duc·tion·is·tic [ri-duhk-shuh-nis-tik], /rɪˌdʌk ʃəˈnɪs tɪk/, adjective

Words Nearby reductionist

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use reductionist in a sentence