Meaning

noun a theory that all complex systems can be completely understood in terms of their components

noun the analysis of complex things into simpler constituents

originEtymology tree English reduction Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der. English -ism English reductionism From reduction + -ism.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0