reductionisticadj.
/rᵻˌdʌkʃəˈnɪstɪk/, U.S. /rəˌdəkʃəˈnɪstɪk/, /riˌdəkʃəˈnɪstɪk/ Frequently somewhat depreciative.
= reductionist adj.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > philosophy > empiricism > [adjective] > relating to reductionism or reductionists
reductive1901
reductionist1931
reductionistic1941
reductivist1950
1941 Amer. Jrnl. Psychol. 54 147 The approach is definitely organic rather than mechanistic or reductionistic.
1964 Classical Jrnl. 60 138/2 This kind of literary analysis..is grossly reductionistic and simplistic, to say the least.
1974 B. F. Skinner About Behaviorism xiv. 240 A science of behaviour has been said to dehumanize man because it is reductionistic.
2007 Vancouver Sun (Nexis) 15 Sept. c4 He says mechanistic science is reductionistic; inadequate to explain the fullness of reality.
Derivatives
reˌductioˈnistically adv.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > philosophy > empiricism > [adverb]
necessarily1664
positivistically1890
phenomenologically1891
phenomenalistically1909
nomically1921
operationally1925
reductionistically1950
hypothetico-deductively1953
metascientifically1954
the mind > mental capacity > psychology > theory of psychoanalysis > theories of Freud > reduction > [adverb]
reductionistically1950
1950 Jrnl. Philos. 47 251 The constitutive, operational properties of the compound are reductionistically describable in terms synonymous with those used in the description of the elements.
1965 Jrnl. Politics 27 783 The list of problems and events treated reductionistically is enormous.
1993 B. Moyers Healing & Mind ii. 125 So let's not talk reductionistically about the mind or the body.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2009; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1941