Reductive

//ɹɪˈdʌktɪv// adj

adj ·Uncommon ·College level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Pertaining to the reduction of a decree etc.; rescissory. archaic
  2. 2
    Causing the physical reduction or diminution of something.
  3. 3
    That reduces a substance etc. to a more simple or basic form.

    "On the relative reductive powers of different classes of American coals, as demonstrated by the experiments with oxide of lead."

  4. 4
    That can be derived from, or referred back to, something else. archaic, historical

    "But then beside the primary and direct sense of the text, the ancients commonly supposed that there was a reductive or anagogical meaning, in which it might be taken."

  5. 5
    That reduces an argument, issue etc. to its most basic terms; simplistic, reductionist.
Adjective
  1. 1
    characterized by or causing diminution or curtailment wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
subtractiveablativearrestedbackwardcoarseconceptually crude

Example

More examples

"On the relative reductive powers of different classes of American coals, as demonstrated by the experiments with oxide of lead."

Etymology

From Middle French réductif, from Late Latin reductivus, from the participle stem of Latin reducere (“to reduce”).

Related phrases

reductive animationreductive dechlorinationreductive grammarreductive group

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.