Meaning of reduce In English

• 0 to become or to make something become smaller in size, amount, degree, importance, etc.:

  • Do nuclear weapons really reduce the risk of war?

  • The plane reduced speed as it approached the airport.

  • My weight reduces when I stop eating sugar.

  • We bought a TV that was reduced from £500 to £350 in the sales.

  • I reduced the problem to a few simple questions.

  • Reduce the sauce by boiling for five minutes.

  • Simmer until the liquid has reduced by about one third.

• 1 to make something less in size, amount, degree, importance, or price:

  • A low-fat diet can reduce the risk of heart disease.

  • Grunn employs 17,900 people, but that number will be reduced by 500 workers.

  • All electronic equipment in the store has been reduced (= lowered in price).

  • Without any information, we’ve been reduced to guessing what happened.

  • The town was reduced to rubble in the fighting.

• 2 to make something less in price, size, amount, etc.:

  • reduce costs/prices The retailer moved its supply base overseas to reduce costs.

  • reduce risk/debt/losses Diversification is a good way of reducing risk.

  • reduce emissions/waste/pollution

  • He decided to reduce his hours to give him more time with his family.

  • reduce sth by sth The bank planned to reduce its staff levels by around 20% by 2012.

  • reduce sth from sth to sth The reorganization will reduce the number of managers from 15 to no more than 8.

  • Mercury is reducing its stake in the company to 10 percent.

• 3 an expression used to encourage people to waste less, by using less and using things again, in order to protect the environment