reductive

[ri-duhk-tiv]

adjective

1. of or relating to reduction; serving to reduce or abridge.

   an urgent need for reductive measures.

2. of or relating to change from one form to another.

   reductive chemical processes.

3. employing an analysis of a complex subject into a simplified, less detailed form; of, pertaining to, or employing reductionism; reductionistic.

noun

1. something causing or inducing a reductive process.

Other Word Forms

• reductively adverb
• reductiveness noun
• antireductive adjective
• nonreductive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of reductive¹

First recorded in 1625–35; reduct(ion) + -ive

Example Sentences

At the risk of being reductive, the problem is that these markets each want different things from Audi.

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But Fabbro’s wistful salute to bygone traditions has significant limitations, especially noticeable in the reductive design of his diametrically opposed main characters.

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“I think the most reductive view of Guiteau is ‘chaotic evil,’ right?

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Grace’s erotic agony is reductive and a bit ridiculous, although I think the script is also trying to imply that Grace herself is focused on the wrong problems.

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Spending the next 10 years lamenting Madigan’s potential snub would be nothing more than reductive, implying that her work is only worthy if it’s awarded by stuffy voters who maintain little respect for horror, anyway.

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Related Words

• diminishing www.thesaurus.com
• diminutive 
• minimal