reduced
Americanadjective
-
made smaller, lower, or less; diminished.
Individuals who experience depression have reduced levels of serotonin in their brains.
-
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 monthly benefits are available at age 62 and, with delayed retirement credits, the highest monthly benefit is paid at age 70.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
Reduced to celebrating Premier League survival on the season's final day with victory over Everton.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
Reduced to 40 percent of seats after a drubbing in the 2024 general election, Nelson Mandela's former liberation movement has been forced into an often-uneasy coalition with nine other parties.
From Barron's • May 8, 2026
Reduced blood flow to the brain, which becomes more common with age, can also harm myelin and contribute to conditions such as cerebral small vessel disease and vascular dementia.
From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026
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.
