reduce

American  

[ri-doos, -dyoos] / rɪˈdus, -ˈdjus /

verb (used with object)

reduces, present (3rd person singular) reduced, past participle, past reducing present participle

1. to bring down to a smaller extent, size, amount, number, etc..

   to reduce one's weight by 10 pounds.

   Synonyms:

   abate, attenuate, lessen, retrench, contract, curtail, abridge, shorten, decrease, diminish

   Antonyms:

   increase

2. to lower in degree, intensity, etc..

   to reduce the speed of a car.

   Synonyms:

   abate, attenuate, lessen

3. to bring down to a lower rank, dignity, etc..

   a sergeant reduced to a corporal

   Synonyms:

   humble, demote, degrade

   Antonyms:

   exalt, elevate

4. to treat analytically, as a complex idea.

5. to lower in price.

6. to bring to a certain state, condition, arrangement, etc..

   to reduce glass to powder.

7. to bring under control or authority.

   Synonyms:

   overpower, overcome, vanquish, subject, conquer, subjugate, subdue

8. Cooking. to evaporate water from (a sauce, soup, or other liquid), usually by boiling.

9. Photography. to lessen the density of (an exposed negative).

10. to adjust or correct by making allowances, as an astronomical observation.

11. Mathematics. to change the denomination or form, but not the value, of (a fraction, polynomial, etc.).

12. Chemistry.

    1. to add electrons to.

    2. to deoxidize.

    3. to add hydrogen to.

    4. to change (a compound) so that the valence of the positive element is lower.

13. Chemistry, Metallurgy. to bring into the metallic state by separating from nonmetallic constituents.

14. to thin or dilute.

    to reduce paint with oil or turpentine.

15. to lower the alcoholic concentration of (spirits) by diluting with water.

16. Surgery. to restore to the normal place, relation, or condition, as a fractured bone.

17. Phonetics. to modify the quality of (a speech sound) to one of lesser distinctiveness, especially to pronounce (an unstressed vowel) as (ə) or another centralized vowel, as in the unstressed syllables of medicinal.

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verb (used without object)

reduces, present (3rd person singular) reduced, past participle, past reducing present participle

1. to become reduced.

2. to become lessened, especially in weight.

3. to be turned into or made to equal something.

   All our difficulties reduce to financial problems.

4. Cell Biology. to undergo meiosis.

reduce British  

/ rɪˈdjuːs /

verb

1. (also intr) to make or become smaller in size, number, extent, degree, intensity, etc

2. to bring into a certain state, condition, etc

   to reduce a forest to ashes

   to reduce someone to despair

3. (also intr) to make or become slimmer; lose or cause to lose excess weight

4. to impoverish (esp in the phrase in reduced circumstances )

5. to bring into a state of submission to one's authority; subjugate

   the whole country was reduced after three months

6. to bring down the price of (a commodity)

   the shirt was reduced in the sale

7. to lower the rank or status of; demote

   he was reduced from corporal to private

   reduced to the ranks

8. to set out systematically as an aid to understanding; simplify

   his theories have been reduced in a popular treatise

9. maths to modify or simplify the form of (an expression or equation), esp by substitution of one term by another

10. cookery to make (a sauce, stock, etc) more concentrated by boiling away some of the water in it

11. to thin out (paint) by adding oil, turpentine, etc; dilute

12. (also intr) chem

    1. to undergo or cause to undergo a chemical reaction with hydrogen or formation of a hydride

    2. to lose or cause to lose oxygen atoms

    3. to undergo or cause to undergo an increase in the number of electrons Compare oxidize

13. photog to lessen the density of (a negative or print) by converting some of the blackened silver in the emulsion to soluble silver compounds by an oxidation process using a photographic reducer

14. surgery to manipulate or reposition (a broken or displaced bone, organ, or part) back to its normal site

15. (also intr) biology to undergo or cause to undergo meiosis

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• reducibility
  noun
• overreduce
  verb
• antireducing
  adjective
• nonreducing
  adjective
• reducible
  adjective
• reducibly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• reducing
  present
• reduced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• reduce
  simple
• reduces
  simple
• have reduced
  perfect
• has reduced
  perfect
• am reducing
  progressive
• are reducing
  progressive
• is reducing
  progressive
• have been reducing
  perfect progressive
• has been reducing
  perfect progressive

Past

• reduced
  simple
• had reduced
  perfect
• was reducing
  progressive
• were reducing
  progressive
• had been reducing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will reduce
  simple
• will have reduced
  perfect
• will be reducing
  progressive
• will have been reducing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of reduce

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English reducen “to lead back,” from Latin redūcere “to lead back, bring back,” equivalent to re- re- + dūcere “to lead”

Explanation

You reduce something when you lessen its volume, size, or degree. That's why we say when someone goes on a diet, it's because they want to reduce; it's a polite way of suggesting they need to drop pounds and become a smaller size. The word reduce first appeared in Old French during the 14th Century, when it meant "bring back." From the Latin re, which meant "back," coupled with ducere, meaning "bring or lead" — we ended up with reduce. The current meaning, "to lessen," appeared in the late 1700's, drawn from the word's military use, "reduce to ranks," which meant break into smaller units. Cooks use the word reduce when they reduce a liquid, boiling it down until it has less volume and is thicker.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reduce reduces reduced reducing

Hutchison now estimates that operations will reduce to 125,000 to 127,000 tons of copper in the year, bringing total annual production to 312,000-314,000 tons from all its operations, in line with guidance of 310,000-335,000 tons.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Hotter conditions raise electricity demand, while drought can reduce hydroelectric generation and increase reliance on natural gas and other fuels.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

Supervisors have heralded Measure G as a transformative move that will modernize county government and reduce the concentration of power among the board’s members.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Having had "a brief look at the roof space" on the applicant's house, he said things such as dormer windows could reduce roof space, meaning "less panels" could be installed.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

Many people had put off their visits in the expectation that the nation’s worsening economic crisis and pressure from Congress eventually would compel the railroads to reduce their Chicago fares.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

This reduces the need for complex measurements while also increasing sensitivity.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026

Macquarie’s bull at Jefferies thinks the appointment of an internal candidate as CEO reduces risks of a material near-term strategy shift.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Experts I talked to explained that such decline is the economic result of consolidation, which reduces competition and therefore removes incentives for movie studios to take creative risks.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

This reduces the usual cooling effect of the sea and can help to hold temperatures up over land, especially at night.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

Worst, perhaps, in the long run, the exuberant spread of the Green Revolution has pushed many traditional cultivars toward extinction, which in turn reduces the genetic diversity of crops.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Ask whether the provider offers a discount, an interest-free payment plan or a reduced price for paying an agreed amount at once.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

This arithmetic trick reduced RP1’s response rate from 33.6% to 15.7%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

While the ratings agency is maintaining its “A-” financial strength and credit ratings of Delaware Life, it reduced its outlook to “negative” because of possible higher credit risk following changes to the insurer’s portfolio.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

VAT has been reduced on children's meals served in restaurants as well as kids' and family tickets for cinemas, shows, exhibitions and outdoor venues and activities.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

His soldiers reduced the forest to a heap of kindling.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

For many younger Indians to whom Wimbledon can feel aspirational but also distant, "reducing this cultural distance" is important, Upasna Dash, founder of the Jajabor Brand Consultancy, told the BBC.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

These events push inflation higher while reducing consumers’ purchasing power and slowing economic growth.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

Reintroducing the protein improved the cells' ability to fold and transport proinsulin while reducing the accumulation of improperly folded copies.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026

President Claudia Sheinbaum has credited her administration’s efforts with reducing homicides by almost 50% in less than two years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026

They explained that by their studies of the past three months the pigs had succeeded in reducing the principles of Animalism to Seven Commandments.

From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell

Related Words

• curtail
• cut
• cut down
• diminish
• dwindle
• knock off
• lessen
• lower
• pare
• scale down
• shorten
• slash
• trim
• weaken