What does "reduction" mean?
The act, process, or result of reducing.
Reduction
/ɹɪˈdʌk.ʃən/ noun
noun ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act, process, or result of reducing.
- Grammar: reduction is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: decrease, diminution, simplification, abasement.
- Useful contrasts: actual growth, agricultural output, great extent.
- Usage evidence: We hope to come to an accord with them about arms reduction.
How to use "reduction"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "reduction" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "reduction" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "reduction" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "reduction" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "reduction" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "decrease" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "reduction", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act, process, or result of reducing. countable, uncountable
"With the cutting out of the previous recovery times for electrification work, curtailment of station times and acceleration, considerable reductions have been made in the overall schedules."
- 2 the act of reducing complexity wordnet
- 3 The amount or rate by which something is reduced, e.g. in price. countable, uncountable
"A 5% reduction in robberies"
- 4 the act of decreasing or reducing something wordnet
- 5 A reaction in which electrons are gained and valence is reduced; often by the removal of oxygen or the addition of hydrogen. countable, uncountable
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 any process in which electrons are added to an atom or ion (as by removing oxygen or adding hydrogen); always occurs accompanied by oxidation of the reducing agent wordnet
- 7 The process of rapidly boiling a sauce to concentrate it. countable, uncountable
- 8 The rewriting of an expression into a simpler form. countable, uncountable
- 9 A transformation of one problem into another problem, such as mapping reduction or polynomial-time reduction. countable, uncountable
- 10 An arrangement for a far smaller number of parties, e.g. a keyboard solo based on a full opera. countable, uncountable
- 11 A philosophical procedure intended to reveal the objects of consciousness as pure phenomena. (See phenomenological reduction.) countable, uncountable
- 12 A medical procedure to restore a fracture or dislocation to the correct alignment, usually with a closed approach but sometimes with an open approach (surgery). countable, uncountable
"closed reduction"
- 13 A reduced price of something by a fraction or decimal. countable, uncountable
- 14 The ratio of a material's change in thickness compared to its thickness prior to forging and/or rolling. countable, uncountable
"The final stage of thickness reduction (typically 90% from about 2mm to <0.2mm) is carried out by cold rolling."
- 15 A religious settlement created during a mission by Spanish or Portuguese colonists with the intent of evangelizing Christianity to the local population. countable, historical, uncountable
"Spanish reductions in Mexico were common during the 18th century."
Antonyms
actual growthagricultural outputgreat extentincreasing quantity
Example
"We hope to come to an accord with them about arms reduction."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "reduction"?
Common synonyms include: decrease, diminution, simplification, abasement, abatement, abates.
How do you use "reduction" in a sentence?
We hope to come to an accord with them about arms reduction.
How do you pronounce "reduction"?
Pronounced /ɹɪˈdʌk.ʃən/.
Etymology
From Middle English reduccion, a borrowing from Old French reducion, from Latin reductiō, reductiōnem. Equivalent to reduce + -tion.