Definition of "reduction" []

• The act or process of reducing. (noun)
• The result of reducing: a reduction in absenteeism. (noun)
• The amount by which something is lessened or diminished: a reduction of 12 percent in violent crime. (noun)
• Biology The first meiotic division, in which the chromosome number is reduced. Also called reduction division. (noun)
• Chemistry A decrease in positive valence or an increase in negative valence by the gaining of electrons. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The term reduction is often used to refer to the relation between a theory and its historical successor."
• "You see, this reduction is all about reducing weight for the launch of the ISS-Trimmed Orion on Ares-I."
• "But the word "reduction" was dropped in the editing process."