reduction

noun

re·​duc·​tion ri-ˈdək-shən 

1

: the act or process of reducing : the state of being reduced

2

a

: something made by reducing

b

: the amount by which something is reduced

3

[Spanish reducción, from Latin reduction-, reductio] : a South American Indian settlement directed by Jesuit missionaries

4

: meiosis sense 2

specifically : production of the gametic chromosome number in the first meiotic division

reductional

ri-ˈdək-shnəl 

-shə-nᵊl

adjective

Synonyms

• abatement
• deduction
• discount

Examples of reduction in a Sentence

a drastic reduction in size

Many voters want to see some reduction of the deficit.

There is a 20 percent reduction on selected items during this sale.

Recent Examples on the Web

In February, the company announced price reductions of as much as 55% on a wide range of core cloud products. —Ryan Browne, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2024

For example, with the exception of the success in insulin price reduction, the IRA could disincentivize new drug development by placing price controls on some drug categories faster than others. —Steve Brozak, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024

Nebraska simply does not have the spots as a result of a roster reduction to meet the 105-player limit. —Mitch Sherman, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024

The American Immigration Council estimated that deporting 1 million people annually until the undocumented population is eliminated could result in a 4.2% to 6.8% reduction in GDP. —George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English reduccion restoration, from Middle French reducion, from Late Latin & Latin; Late Latin reduction-, reductio reduction (in a syllogism), from Latin, restoration, from reducere

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing reduction

• oxidation-reduction
• reduction division
• reduction gear

Kids Definition

reduction

noun

re·​duc·​tion ri-ˈdək-shən 

1

: the act or process of reducing : the state of being reduced

2

a

: something made by reducing

b

: the amount by which something is reduced in price

3

: meiosis

especially : halving of the chromosome number in the reduction division

reductive

-ˈdək-tiv

adjective

Medical Definition

reduction

noun

re·​duc·​tion ri-ˈdək-shən 

1

: the replacement or realignment of a body part in normal position or restoration of a bodily condition to normal

2

: the process of reducing by chemical or electrochemical means

3

: the psychological diminishment of emotion or needs through activity or adjustment

4

: meiosis

specifically : production of the gametic chromosome number in the first meiotic division