reduced
Americanadjective
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made smaller, lower, or less; diminished.
Individuals who experience depression have reduced levels of serotonin in their brains.
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Mathematics. noting a polynomial equation in which the second highest power is missing.
The cubic equation x3 − 4x + 4 = 0 is reduced.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reduced
Explanation
A reduced thing has been lessened or subtracted from. If you want to ride your bike in Italy and you’re on a budget, look for reduced airfare. For a reduced risk of injury, wear a helmet when you get there. To reduce something is to make it smaller or lessen it in some way. Therefore, anything reduced is smaller than it was before. If you’re pedaling your way through Italy and hit a giant hill, you’ll probably have reduced pedal power and go much slower. This word applies to things that are going down in degree or amount. There could be reduced pain, reduced cost, or reduced size. Anything described as reduced can also be called decreased.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Carrick remained relaxed and polite but, without hesitation, answers reduced from their previously expanded form to single sentences, questions were asked in response to questions.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Experts say that’s due in part to reduced global demand and the release of strategic stockpiles.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
Activating the receptor in the brainstem reduced appetite, while blocking the same receptor in the hypothalamus produced a similar weight loss effect through a different mechanism.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026
U.S. carriers are angry that the waiver has reduced the shipping premiums they can charge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Shackleton reduced the water ration to half a cup a day.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
