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Existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence
“Wilber has failed to attract a mainstream audience because his writing is so often abstract in nature.”
Difficult to understand or conceptualize
“The wholly abstract fact is prior to, and simpler than, the propositions of which it is the logical form.”
Relating to or denoting art that does not attempt to represent external reality directly
“Both legs and abstract shapes contribute to an almost painterly overall compositional effect.”
Existing only in the imagination
Difficult for the mind to grasp
Not negotiable
Made simple
Cold or aloof in manner or behavior
Cubist or geometric
That cannot be precisely defined or put into words
Not concerned with material values or pursuits
Neutral
Not realistic
Of very great excellence or beauty
Above or beyond what is expected or normal
Thinking about or planning the future with imagination or wisdom
Hard to find, capture, or achieve
Not influenced by strong emotion, and so able to be rational and impartial
A summary of the contents of a book, article, or speech
“An abstract of this article has been recently published online.”
A figure intended to represent an abstract quality
“Philosophically speaking, a judge without an equipage might be the very abstract of piety or of uprightness.”
A short passage taken from a text, film, or piece of music
Writings published on a particular subject, typically academic in nature
To take away from
“Intakes of this type are designed to abstract a large proportion of the water available.”
To make a written summary of (an article or book)
“You'll need to abstract the published articles into a concise synopsis.”
(abstract something from) To consider abstractly or theoretically
“Aristotle held that mathematicians abstract the notions of quantity and dimension from the sensibly given.”
To divert one's mind or attention (to something else)
“His personal problems would abstract him persistently throughout the day.”
(euphemistic) To steal or remove without permission
“In his pockets were all that he had been able to abstract from the apartment.”
Select a quotation
To represent in a particular style
To take one thing from another
To leave or withdraw from a commitment or responsibility
To dismiss from a job
Related Words and Phrases
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