reduction

[ri-duhk-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of reducing or the state of being reduced.

2. the amount by which something is reduced or diminished.

3. a form produced by reducing a copy on a smaller scale.

4. Cell Biology.,  meiosis, especially the first meiotic cell division in which the chromosome number is reduced by half.

5. Chemistry.,  the process or result of reducing.

6. Movies.,  the process of making a print of a narrower gauge from a print of a wider gauge.

   the reduction of 35-millimeter films to 16-millimeter films for the school market.

7. a village or settlement of Indians in South America established and governed by Spanish Jesuit missionaries.

reduction

/ rɪˈdʌkʃən /

noun

1. the act or process or an instance of reducing

2. the state or condition of being reduced

3. the amount by which something is reduced

4. a form of an original resulting from a reducing process, such as a copy on a smaller scale

5. a simplified form, such as an orchestral score arranged for piano

6. maths

   1. the process of converting a fraction into its decimal form

   2. the process of dividing out the common factors in the numerator and denominator of a fraction; cancellation

reduction

1. The changing of a fraction into a simpler form, especially by dividing the numerator and denominator by a common factor. For example, the fraction 8/12 can be reduced to 4/6, which can be further reduced to 2/3, in each case by dividing both the numerator and denominator by 2.

2. A chemical reaction in which an atom or ion gains electrons, thus undergoing a decrease in valence. If an iron atom having a valence of +3 gains an electron, the valence decreases to +2.

3. Compare oxidation

reduction

1. Any chemical reaction in which the atoms in a material take on electrons.

Usage

Beginning students of chemistry are understandably puzzled by the term reduction: shouldn't a reduced atom or ion be one that loses electrons rather than gains them? The reason for the apparent contradiction comes from the early days of chemistry, where reduction and its counterpart, oxidation, were terms invented to describe reactions in which one substance lost an oxygen atom and the other substance gained it. In a reaction such as that between two molecules of hydrogen (2H₂) and one of oxygen (O₂) combining to produce two molecules of water (2H₂O), the hydrogen atoms have gained oxygen atoms and were said to have become “oxidized,” while the oxygen atoms have (as it were) lost them by attaching themselves to the hydrogens, and were said to have become “reduced.” Importantly, though, in the process of gaining an oxygen atom, the hydrogen atoms have had to give up their electrons and share them with the oxygen atoms, while the oxygen atoms have gained electrons. Thus comes the apparent paradox that the “reduced” oxygen has in fact gained something, namely electrons. Today the terms oxidation and reduction are used of any reaction, not just one involving oxygen, where electrons are (respectively) lost or gained.

Reduction is the opposite of oxidation.

Other Word Forms

• reductive adjective
• reductional adjective
• antireduction adjective
• nonreduction noun
• nonreductional adjective
• overreduction noun
• proreduction adjective
• self-reduction noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of reduction¹

First recorded in 1475–85; earlier reduccion, from Middle French reduction, from Latin reductiōn- (stem of reductiō ) “a bringing back,” equivalent to reduct(us) (past participle of redūcere “to lead back” ) + -iōn- noun suffix; reduce, -ion

Example Sentences

Economists are assessing the impact of the central bank’s decision to lower rates by 50 basis points, bringing the total reduction in the official cash rate to 300 basis points since mid-2024.

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The company plans to cut the workforce through natural attrition, a reduction of positions, divestment, outsourcing, and redundancies.

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Russia can absorb some reduction in refining capacity.

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“Insurers are working with regulators, legislators and other stakeholders to expand access to coverage, promote mitigation efforts like stronger building codes and wildfire risk reduction, and improve transparency around claims.”

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“Video games, beyond their content, can favor pathological aggression, withdrawal, escape from reality and reduction of interests,” the study noted.

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Related Words

• contraction 
• cut 
• cutback 
• devaluation 
• discount 
• rebate