View synonyms for abstract

abstract

[ adjective ab-strakt, ab-strakt; noun ab-strakt; verb ab-strakt ab-strakt ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

thought of apart from concrete realities, specific objects, or actual instances:
an abstract idea.
expressing a quality or characteristic apart from any specific object or instance, as justice, poverty, and speed.
not applied or practical; theoretical:
abstract science.
difficult to understand; abstruse:
abstract speculations.
Fine Arts.
1. of or relating to the formal aspect of art, emphasizing lines, colors, generalized or geometrical forms, etc., especially with reference to their relationship to one another.
2. Often Abstract. pertaining to the nonrepresentational art styles of the 20th century.

noun

a summary of a text, scientific article, document, speech, etc.; epitome.
something that concentrates in itself the essential qualities of anything more extensive or more general, or of several things; essence.
an idea or term considered apart from some material basis or object.
an abstract work of art.

verb (used with object)

to make an abstract of; summarize.
to draw or take away; remove.
to divert or draw away the attention of.
to steal.
to consider as a general quality or characteristic apart from specific objects or instances:
to abstract the notions of time, space, and matter.

abstract

adjective

having no reference to material objects or specific examples; not concrete
not applied or practical; theoretical
hard to understand; recondite; abstruse
denoting art characterized by geometric, formalized, or otherwise nonrepresentational qualities
defined in terms of its formal properties
an abstract machine
philosophy (of an idea) functioning for some empiricists as the meaning of a general term
the word ``man'' does not name all men but the abstract idea of manhood

noun

a condensed version of a piece of writing, speech, etc; summary
an abstract term or idea
an abstract painting, sculpture, etc
in the abstract
in the abstract without reference to specific circumstances or practical experience

verb

to think of (a quality or concept) generally without reference to a specific example; regard theoretically
to form (a general idea) by abstraction
ˈæbstrækt also intr to summarize or epitomize
to remove or extract
euphemistic.
to steal

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Other Words From

ab·stracter noun
ab·stractly adverb
abstract·ness noun
non·abstract adjective noun
non·abstract·ly adverb
non·abstract·ness noun
over·ab·stract verb (used with object) adjective
preab·stract adjective
super·ab·stract adjective
super·ab·stractly adverb
super·ab·stractness noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of abstract¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English: “withdrawn from worldly interests,” from Latin abstractus “drawn off” (past participle of abstrahere ). See abs-, tract ¹

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Word History and Origins

Origin of abstract¹

C14: (in the sense: extracted): from Latin abstractus drawn off, removed from (something specific), from abs- ab- ¹+ trahere to draw

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

abstract away from, to omit from consideration.
in the abstract, without reference to a specific object or instance; in theory:
beauty in the abstract.

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Example Sentences

These matters are not mere threats to abstract constitutional principles.

From The Daily Beast

Do you think that as we get older our thoughts shift to the more abstract, the music, than the definite, the lyrics?

From The Daily Beast

To listeners, Adnan is a real human while Jay remains an abstract figure.

From The Daily Beast

In the mindset of the Coexist camp, those abstract beliefs have become twisted things, wrapped up with hate.

From The Daily Beast

“There will be flashbacks to that day, but I think it will be a reasonably abstract performance,” Berger said.

From The Daily Beast

This work is now lost, and we know it only by the abstract given by Photius in the passage quoted.

From Project Gutenberg

If you are thinking of making an Abstract of a particular book, awaken the utmost interest in regard to it before you begin.

From Project Gutenberg

Any other work of which an Abstract is published will serve the student as well as the above.

From Project Gutenberg

Three things are required: To learn how to abstract; To make one, at least, such abstract; and To learn it when made.

From Project Gutenberg

He never made any attempt to learn the abstract science of war, and until stirred by danger his character seemed to slumber.

From Project Gutenberg

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

abstr.abstract algebra

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