irreducible

as in small
formal not able to be made smaller or simpler They thought the world was made up of four irreducible elements: earth, air, fire, and water. an irreducible fraction

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of irreducible Surely somebody was on the inside, holding power, and yet everybody here felt iced out, their privilege and their victimhood irreducible against one another; each personal combination private, hurtful, and too tender to touch. Daisy Hildyard, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024 The refined view of entropy is one that sheds the false dreams of total efficiency and perfect prediction and instead concedes the irreducible uncertainty in the world. Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2024 Reclaim what is unique and irreducible in these encounters—what cannot be accounted for by the systemic analysis. James Parker, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2024 Ronald Bronstein, 2007) Ronald Bronstein’s sole directorial effort thrums with irreducible personality, an entrée into a chaotic, claustrophobic state of mind within an unforgiving urban environment. Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024 See All Example Sentences for irreducible

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Irreducible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irreducible. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on irreducible

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!