- Etymology
- From Latin reductiō "a bringing back" + -ism. Doctrine of reduction.
- Stem reduct-
- From Latin redūcere. "To bring back, reduce."
- Suffix -ism
- Forming nouns. "Doctrine, theory, or practice of."
- Origin
- Lineage of modern science.
- Main proponent(s)
- Lineage of modern science
- Structural characteristic
- Hierarchical decomposition
- Meaning
- Complex phenomena can be understood by decomposing them into the properties of their minimal constituent elements.
- Earliest use
- Modern science. 17th–20th century.
- Definition
- The doctrine that complex phenomena can be understood by decomposing them into the properties of their minimal constituent elements. Hierarchical decomposition.