reductionism

noun

re·​duc·​tion·​ism ri-ˈdək-shə-ˌni-zəm How to pronounce reductionism (audio)
1
: explanation of complex life-science processes and phenomena in terms of the laws of physics and chemistry
also : a theory or doctrine that complete reductionism is possible
2
: a procedure or theory that reduces complex data and phenomena to simple terms
reductionist noun or adjective
reductionistic adjective

Examples of reductionism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In more recent times, a different kind of reductionism has skewed Western understanding. Sebastian Strangio, Foreign Affairs, 14 Apr. 2020 To me, this reductionism, along with the supposedly timeless reality of mathematics, meant that human experience could be overcome through a higher, more complete perspective. Adam Frank, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2024 Kauffman has come to believe that reductionism can take us just so far. Adam Frank, Discover Magazine, 12 July 2023 Albrecht’s clock ambiguity and Smolin’s critiques of string theory expose chinks in the armor of reductionism. Adam Frank, Discover Magazine, 12 July 2023 See all Example Sentences for reductionism 

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of reductionism was in 1925

Dictionary Entries Near reductionism

Cite this Entry

“Reductionism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reductionism. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

reductionism

noun
re·​duc·​tion·​ism ri-ˈdək-shə-ˌniz-əm How to pronounce reductionism (audio)
1
: the attempt to explain all biological processes by the same explanations (as by physical laws) that chemists and physicists use to interpret inanimate matter
also : the theory that complete reductionism is possible
2
: a procedure or theory that reduces complex data or phenomena to simple terms
reductionist adjective
or reductionistic

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