reductionist

[ ri-duhk-shuh-nist ]

/ rɪˈdʌk ʃəˌnɪst /

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adjective

based on or explained by an analysis of the simplest or most basic factors of a complex phenomenon:A reductionist experiment is essential to isolating the impact of a single variable on the ecosystem as a whole.

simplistic to the point of minimizing, obscuring, or distorting a complex idea, issue, or condition:Both stories describe the same reality, but your reductionist version fails to capture the full truth.

noun

a person who believes that everything can be explained by reducing complex ideas or issues to their simplest component parts:To reductionists, all other worldviews are unscientific and sloppy, so they often choose to ignore evidence from observational studies.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of reductionist

reduction + -ist

OTHER WORDS FROM reductionist

re·duc·tion·is·tic

[ri-duhk-shuh-nis-tik], /rɪˌdʌk ʃəˈnɪs tɪk/, adjective

Words nearby reductionist

reductio ad absurdum, reduction, reduction division, reduction formula, reductionism, reductionist, reduction potential, reduction ratio, reductive, reductivism, reductor

How to use reductionist in a sentence

Such a reductionist approach seems valid in physics, where in principle elementary particles can be assembled into nuclei and atoms, which then form molecules and bigger assemblies of matter and energy up to the whole universe.
The Math of Living Things - Issue 102: Hidden Truths|Sidney Perkowitz|June 23, 2021|Nautilus
To the very contrary, reductionists usually stress that consciousness can be explained by science, exactly because it emerges from the interaction of the many particles that make up a brain.
The End of Reductionism Could Be Nigh. Or Not. - Facts So Romantic|Sabine Hossenfelder|June 18, 2021|Nautilus
In contrast to what Marletto writes, reductionists also often emphasize that an explanation in terms of emergent properties should not be dismissed just because it is not fundamental.
The End of Reductionism Could Be Nigh. Or Not. - Facts So Romantic|Sabine Hossenfelder|June 18, 2021|Nautilus
It might be reductionist, but the loss could be pinned in part on George having shot 5 of 21 from the field, the fewest field goals he’s made all year while attempting 20 or more.
The Clippers Didn’t Change Much On Offense. But They’re Poised For Playoff Redemption.|Louis Zatzman|May 6, 2021|FiveThirtyEight

In doing this work, I have developed a reductionist view of nature.
I Am Not a Machine. Yes You Are. - Issue 98: Mind|Kevin Berger|March 31, 2021|Nautilus
The short version is that it seems on the one hand zoological and on the other hand reductionist.
'Jew in a Box' Puts Tilda Swinton to Shame|Ilana Glazer|April 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Democrats tend to believe that the facts will set them free, and that spinning them is reductionist.
Republicans Embrace Theatrics—It’s Time for Barack Obama to Do the Same|Sally Kohn|July 20, 2012|DAILY BEAST
And Gitlin's blanket assumption that being gay means who you 'sleep with' is reductionist bigotry.
Andrew Sullivan's Kagan Crusade|Benjamin Sarlin|May 11, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The noteworthy difference: In this case, the reductionist rhetoric caricatures fervent supporters rather than staunch critics.
The RNC's Self-Inflicted Wound|Conor Friedersdorf|March 4, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Literate language is a reductionist machine, which we use to look at the world from the perspective of our own experience.
The Civilization of Illiteracy|Mihai Nadin