Lessen vs. Reduce

Lessenverb

(transitive) To make less; to diminish; to reduce.

Lessenverb

(intransitive) To become less.

Lessenverb

To make less; to reduce; to make smaller, or fewer; to diminish; to lower; to degrade; as, to lessen a kingdom, or a population; to lessen speed, rank, fortune.

Lessenverb

To become less; to shrink; to contract; to decrease; to be diminished; as, the apparent magnitude of objects lessens as we recede from them; his care, or his wealth, lessened.

Lessenverb

decrease in size, extent, or range;

Lessenverb

make smaller;

Lessenverb

wear off or die down;

Reduceverb

(transitive) To bring down the size, quantity, quality, value or intensity of something; to diminish, to lower, to impair.

Reduceverb

(intransitive) To lose weight.

Reduceverb

(transitive) To bring to an inferior rank; to degrade, to demote.

Reduceverb

(transitive) To humble; to conquer; to subdue; to capture.

Reduceverb

(transitive) To bring to an inferior state or condition.

Reduceverb

To decrease the liquid content of food by boiling much of its water off.

Reduceverb

To add electrons / hydrogen or to remove oxygen.

Reduceverb

To produce metal from ore by removing nonmetallic elements in a smelter.

Reduceverb

To simplify an equation or formula without changing its value.

Reduceverb

To express the solution of a problem in terms of another (known) algorithm.

Reduceverb

To convert a syllogism to a clearer or simpler form

Reduceverb

To convert to written form (Usage note: this verb almost always take the phrase "to writing").

Reduceverb

To perform a reduction; to restore a fracture or dislocation to the correct alignment.

Reduceverb

To reform a line or column from (a square).

Reduceverb

To translate (a book, document, etc.).

Reduceverb

To bring or lead back to any former place or condition.

Reduceverb

To bring to any inferior state, with respect to rank, size, quantity, quality, value, etc.; to diminish; to lower; to degrade; to impair; as, to reduce a sergeant to the ranks; to reduce a drawing; to reduce expenses; to reduce the intensity of heat.

Reduceverb

To bring to terms; to humble; to conquer; to subdue; to capture; as, to reduce a province or a fort.

Reduceverb

To bring to a certain state or condition by grinding, pounding, kneading, rubbing, etc.; as, to reduce a substance to powder, or to a pasty mass; to reduce fruit, wood, or paper rags, to pulp.

Reduceverb

To bring into a certain order, arrangement, classification, etc.; to bring under rules or within certain limits of descriptions and terms adapted to use in computation; as, to reduce animals or vegetables to a class or classes; to reduce a series of observations in astronomy; to reduce language to rules.

Reduceverb

To change, as numbers, from one denomination into another without altering their value, or from one denomination into others of the same value; as, to reduce pounds, shillings, and pence to pence, or to reduce pence to pounds; to reduce days and hours to minutes, or minutes to days and hours.

Reduceverb

To add an electron to an atom or ion.

Reduceverb

To restore to its proper place or condition, as a displaced organ or part; as, to reduce a dislocation, a fracture, or a hernia.

Reduceverb

cut down on; make a reduction in;

Reduceverb

make less complex;

Reduceverb

bring to humbler or weaker state or condition;

Reduceverb

simplify the form of a mathematical equation of expression by substituting one term for another

Reduceverb

lower in grade or rank or force somebody into an undignified situation;

Reduceverb

be the essential element;

Reduceverb

reduce in size; reduce physically;

Reduceverb

lessen and make more modest;

Reduceverb

make smaller;

Reduceverb

to remove oxygen from a compound, or cause to react with hydrogen or form a hydride, or to undergo an increase in the number of electrons

Reduceverb

narrow or limit;

Reduceverb

put down by force or intimidation;

Reduceverb

undergo meiosis;

Reduceverb

reposition (a broken bone after surgery) back to its normal site

Reduceverb

reduce in scope while retaining essential elements;

Reduceverb

be cooked until very little liquid is left;

Reduceverb

cook until very little liquid is left;

Reduceverb

lessen the strength or flavor of a solution or mixture;

Reduceverb

take off weight