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

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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”

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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

On average over the 50 trading days prior to market bottoms, short-term market timers reduce their recommended equity exposure by 20 percentage points.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026

It’s good when AI can reduce the danger to infantrymen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

For Carney, Alberta is essential to his plans to solidify Canada's economy and reduce dependence on the United States.

From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026

The Unite union has hit out at a plan by NatWest to reduce the rights of 30,000 of its employees to work from home.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

It cheered when the exposition orchestra played “Home Sweet Home,” a song that never failed to reduce grown men and women to tears, especially the newest arrivals to the city.

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

Lower light exposure reduces the possibility of photodamage, which occurs when the light used for imaging harms living cells or interferes with their normal functions.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026

But many Malibu residents acknowledge this only reduces the risk your home burns — and provides no guarantees.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Nonspouse heirs have one year to claim tax-free reimbursements for eligible out-of-pocket expenses incurred up to the date of death, which reduces taxes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

"The erosion of the forest, both in size and in number of species, reduces the space available for communities and fuels conflicts," the lawyer added.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

It deflates them, reduces them to the common denominator where they can be dealt with.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

Unlike the multiyear drought that has greatly reduced water in the river, oceans are rising.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

In a culture that refuses to accept its responsibilities, its complicities, we are all reduced, in some essential measure, to a state of savagery.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

The company said lower customer footfall, reduced store opening hours due to curfews and higher operating costs for security and logistics had forced it to trim its guidance for the year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

Junior transport minister, Kier Mather said removing the masts had reduced the risk of them toppling on to and detonating the bombs.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

Age had thickened her husband, thinned his hair, and reduced the numerology by which Bull himself measured his fitness.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

He was facing prison for fraud and campaign finance violations and was speaking to the FBI in the hopes of reducing his sentence.

From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026

The two sides reached a provisional agreement in February aimed at reducing US tariffs on Indian products.

From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026

In the predictive brain model, reducing uncertainty is an important part of maintaining that stability.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026

Moore said things were improving, with greater availability of early intervention in the community, reducing the need for detox.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

Dad went from factory to factory, installing his time-saving systems, reducing worker fatigue, so as to speed up production.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

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Related Words

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

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