Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
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noun
The act of abstracting, separating, withdrawing, or taking away; withdrawal; the state of being taken away.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The act of abstracting, separating, withdrawing, or taking away; withdrawal; the state of being taken away.
The taking surreptitiously for one's own use part of the property of another; purloining.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, euphemistic, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The act of abstracting, separating, withdrawing, or taking away; withdrawal; the state of being taken away.
Removal of water from a river, lake, or aquifer.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A separation from worldly objects; a recluse life; the withdrawal from one's senses.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The act of focusing on one characteristic of an object rather than the object as a whole group of characteristics; the act of separating said qualities from the object or ideas.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Any characteristic of an individual object when that characteristic has been separated from the object and is contemplated alone as a quality having independent existence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A member of an idealized subgroup when contemplated according to the abstracted quality which defines the subgroup.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The act of comparing commonality between distinct objects and organizing using those similarities; the act of generalizing characteristics; the product of said generalization.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
An idea or notion of an abstract or theoretical nature.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Absence or absorption of mind; inattention to present objects; preoccupation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
An abstract creation, or piece of art; qualities of artwork that are free from representational aspects.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: art, arts
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A separation of volatile parts by the act of distillation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
An idea of an idealistic, unrealistic or visionary nature.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The result of mentally abstracting an idea; the product of any mental process involving a synthesis of: separation, despecification, generalization, and ideation in any of a number of combinations.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The merging of two river valleys by the larger of the two deepening and widening so much so, as to assimilate the smaller.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Hiding implementation details from the interface of a component, to decrease complexity through interdependency and improve modularity; a construct that serves as such.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a general concept formed by extracting common features from specific examples
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: abstract entity
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: entity
Narrower terms: psychological feature, attribute, group, grouping, relation, communication, measure, quantity, amount, otherworld, set
noun
the act of withdrawing or removing something
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: removal, remotion
noun
an abstract painting
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: painting, picture
noun
preoccupation with something to the exclusion of all else
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: abstractedness
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: preoccupation, preoccupancy, absorption, engrossment
Narrower terms: reverie, revery
noun
the process of formulating general concepts by abstracting common properties of instances
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: generalization, generalisation
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: theorization, theorisation
noun
a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: abstract
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: concept, conception, construct
Narrower terms: right, absolute, teacher, thing
History
From Middle English abstraccyone; either from Middle French abstraction or from Medieval Latin abstrāctiō (“separation”), from Latin abstrahō (“draw away”). Equivalent to abstract + -ion.
Across languages
61 source translations are retained for this English entry.
