reductionist
adjective
uk/rɪˈdʌk.ʃən.ɪst/us/rɪˈdʌk.ʃən.ɪst/formal
consideringorpresentingsomethingcomplicatedin asimpleway,especiallya way that is toosimple:
a reductionistapproach
The reductionistargumentsays that anything can beartsolongas someone says it is.
sciencespecialized
relatingto thebeliefthatcomplexlivingsystemscan beexplainedby thelawsofphysicsandchemistry, or having thisbelief:
Thissimplisticreductionistmodelhas pathologized a lot ofhumandistress.
Scientificcriticshaveaccusedhim of being too reductionist.
- Herworkhas always beenhighlyreductionist initssimpleshapesandcolours.
- Yousimplycan'tlivein aworldof reductionist,short-termthinking.
- a reductionistviewofreality
- Heclaimedthatcontemporarysciencewas very reductionist.
- Misapplication of the reductionistmentalityofphysicistshas oftenledlifescientistsintotrouble.
Elaborating, specifying and simplifying
- abstract
- anti-reductionism
- anti-reductionist
- broad brush
- broaden
- enlarge
- enlarge on/uponsomething
- expand
- expand onsomething
- expansively
- over-elaboration
- overgeneralization
- overgeneralize
- oversimplification
- oversimplify
- specificity
- specify
- split hairsidiom
- standardization
- standardize
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Philosophy
reductionist
noun[C]
uk/rɪˈdʌk.ʃən.ɪst/us/rɪˈdʌk.ʃən.ɪst/formal
someone wholikestoconsiderorpresentsomethingcomplicatedin asimpleway,especiallya way that is toosimple:
Whenconsideringnations, most of us are reductionists,believingthat theexistenceof anationinvolvesnothing more than theexistenceofitscitizens,livingtogether onitsterritory.
sciencespecialized
someone whobelievesthatcomplexlivingsystemscan beexplainedby thelawsofphysicsandchemistry:
The reductionists have madecountlessdesperateattemptstoquantifythe unmeasurable.
Elaborating, specifying and simplifying
- abstract
- anti-reductionism
- anti-reductionist
- broad brush
- broaden
- enlarge
- enlarge on/uponsomething
- expand
- expand onsomething
- expansively
- over-elaboration
- overgeneralization
- overgeneralize
- oversimplification
- oversimplify
- specificity
- specify
- split hairsidiom
- standardization
- standardize
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Philosophy