antireductive
|an-ti-re-duc-tive|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.ti.rɪˈdʌk.tɪv/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.tɪrɪˈdʌk.tɪv/
against reducing complex wholes to parts
Etymology
'antireductive' is formed in modern English from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') + 'reductive' (from 'reduce' + '-ive').
'reduce' originates from Latin 'reducere' ('re-' back + 'ducere' to lead); it came into English via Old French (e.g. 'reduire') and Middle English, giving modern 'reduce' and the adjective 'reductive'; the compound 'antireductive' was formed by adding the Greek-derived prefix 'anti-' to 'reductive' in modern usage.
The components originally meant 'against' (anti-) and 'to lead back' (reducere); combined in modern English they convey being 'against reducing (complex things) to simpler parts', a usage developed in 19th–20th century philosophical and scientific contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the quality or stance of being antireductive; opposition to analyzing phenomena purely by reduction.
Antireductive in philosophy often denotes a commitment to studying wholes and relations rather than only parts.
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Adjective 1
opposed to reductionism; describing an approach that resists explaining complex systems solely by reducing them to their simpler parts.
Her antireductive approach to ecology emphasized interactions and emergent patterns rather than isolated components.
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Last updated: 2025/09/08 21:58