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
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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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irreducible
Adjective
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Farmers watered their crops less, and saw smaller harvests as a result.—
Annika Merrilees,
Sacbee.com,
7 June 2025
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Yes, Georgia and Paul split this season as the blowback from the trial — and Paul's support of Proposition 38, disastrous for small businesses — imperiled his mayoral career.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
7 June 2025
Adjective
-
One allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail, and three deputies were struck, causing minor injuries, the department said.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2025
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Four people were taken to the hospital and treated for minor injuries, and one person, the driver of the second truck, sustained life-threatening injuries.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
7 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Irreducible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irreducible. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
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