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.
Reduced crop yields as a result of lower fertiliser use could lead to a bidding war for food, he warned.
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026
Reduced personnel expenses allow the school to operate with as few as 1,200 students, he said, and enrollment in this year’s freshman class ticked up.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
Reduced levels may weaken the mucus barrier, while excessive amounts could eliminate beneficial bacteria that normally inhabit the gut.
From Science Daily • Mar. 16, 2026
Reduced rates also tend to weaken the dollar, which boosts crypto valuations.
From Barron's • Oct. 27, 2025
Reduced to the size of a wandering but completely lucid angel, she was in full possession of her indomitable spiritual energy.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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.
