abstract

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Related to abstract: abstract noun, Abstract class

ab·stract

(ăb-străkt′, ăb′străkt′)

adj.

1. Considered apart from concrete existence: an abstract concept.

2. Not applied or practical; theoretical.

3. Difficult to understand; abstruse: abstract philosophical problems.

4. Denoting something that is immaterial, conceptual, or nonspecific, as an idea or quality: abstract words like truth and justice.

5. Impersonal, as in attitude or views.

6. Having an intellectual and affective artistic content that depends solely on intrinsic form rather than on narrative content or pictorial representation: abstract painting and sculpture.

n. (ăb′străkt′)

1. A statement summarizing the important points of a text.

2. Something abstract.

3. An abstract of title.

tr.v. (ăb-străkt′) ab·stract·ed, ab·stract·ing, ab·stracts

a. To take away; remove: abstract the most important data from a set of records.

b. To remove without permission; steal: a painting that was abstracted from the museum.

2. To consider (an idea, for example) as separate from particular examples or objects: abstract a principle of arrangement from a series of items.

3. (ăb′străkt′) To write a summary of; summarize: abstract a long article in a paragraph.

4. To create artistic abstractions of (something else, such as a concrete object or another style): "The Bauhaus Functionalists were ... busy unornamenting and abstracting modern architecture, painting and design" (John Barth).

Idiom:

in the abstract

In a way that is conceptual or theoretical, as opposed to actual or empirical.

[Middle English, from Latin abstractus, past participle of abstrahere, to draw away : abs-, ab-, away; see ab-¹ + trahere, to draw.]

ab·stract′er n.

ab·stract′ly adv.

ab·stract′ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

abstract

adj

1. having no reference to material objects or specific examples; not concrete

2. not applied or practical; theoretical

3. hard to understand; recondite; abstruse

4. (Art Terms) denoting art characterized by geometric, formalized, or otherwise nonrepresentational qualities

5. defined in terms of its formal properties: an abstract machine.

6. (Philosophy) 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.

7. a condensed version of a piece of writing, speech, etc; summary

8. an abstract term or idea

9. (Art Terms) an abstract painting, sculpture, etc

10. in the abstract without reference to specific circumstances or practical experience

vb (tr)

11. to think of (a quality or concept) generally without reference to a specific example; regard theoretically

12. to form (a general idea) by abstraction

13. (also intr) to summarize or epitomize

14. to remove or extract

15. euphemistic to steal

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

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ab•stract

(adj. æbˈstrækt, ˈæb strækt; n. ˈæb strækt; v. æbˈstrækt for 11-14, ˈæb strækt for 15 )

adj.

1. thought of apart from concrete realities, specific objects, or actual instances: an abstract idea.

2. expressing a quality or characteristic apart from any specific object or instance: an abstract word like justice.

3. theoretical; not applied or practical.

4. difficult to understand; abstruse.

5. emphasizing line, color, and nonrepresentational form: abstract art.

6. a summary of a text, technical article, speech, etc.

7. an abstract idea or term.

8. an abstract work of art.

9. something that concentrates in itself the essential qualities of anything more extensive or more general.

v.t.

10. to draw or take away; remove.

11. to divert or draw away the attention of.

12. to steal.

13. to consider as a general quality or characteristic apart from specific objects or instances.

14. to make an abstract of; summarize.

Idioms:

in the abstract, without reference to a specific object or instance; in theory.

[1400–50; late Middle English: withdrawn from worldly interests < Medieval Latin abstractus, Latin: past participle of abstrahere to drag away, divert = abs- abs- + trahere to draw, pull; compare tract¹]

ab•stract′er, n.

ab•stract′ly, adv.

ab•stract′ness, n.

abstract

Past participle: abstracted
Gerund: abstracting

Imperative
abstract
abstract

Present
I abstract
you abstract
he/she/it abstracts
we abstract
you abstract
they abstract

Preterite
I abstracted
you abstracted
he/she/it abstracted
we abstracted
you abstracted
they abstracted

Present Continuous
I am abstracting
you are abstracting
he/she/it is abstracting
we are abstracting
you are abstracting
they are abstracting

Present Perfect
I have abstracted
you have abstracted
he/she/it has abstracted
we have abstracted
you have abstracted
they have abstracted

Past Continuous
I was abstracting
you were abstracting
he/she/it was abstracting
we were abstracting
you were abstracting
they were abstracting

Past Perfect
I had abstracted
you had abstracted
he/she/it had abstracted
we had abstracted
you had abstracted
they had abstracted

Future
I will abstract
you will abstract
he/she/it will abstract
we will abstract
you will abstract
they will abstract

Future Perfect
I will have abstracted
you will have abstracted
he/she/it will have abstracted
we will have abstracted
you will have abstracted
they will have abstracted

Future Continuous
I will be abstracting
you will be abstracting
he/she/it will be abstracting
we will be abstracting
you will be abstracting
they will be abstracting

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been abstracting
you have been abstracting
he/she/it has been abstracting
we have been abstracting
you have been abstracting
they have been abstracting

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been abstracting
you will have been abstracting
he/she/it will have been abstracting
we will have been abstracting
you will have been abstracting
they will have been abstracting

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been abstracting
you had been abstracting
he/she/it had been abstracting
we had been abstracting
you had been abstracting
they had been abstracting

Conditional
I would abstract
you would abstract
he/she/it would abstract
we would abstract
you would abstract
they would abstract

Past Conditional
I would have abstracted
you would have abstracted
he/she/it would have abstracted
we would have abstracted
you would have abstracted
they would have abstracted

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	abstract - a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance; "he loved her only in the abstract--not in person" abstraction right - an abstract idea of that which is due to a person or governmental body by law or tradition or nature; "they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights"; "Certain rights can never be granted to the government but must be kept in the hands of the people"- Eleanor Roosevelt; "a right is not something that somebody gives you; it is something that nobody can take away" concept, conception, construct - an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instances absolute - something that is conceived or that exists independently and not in relation to other things; something that does not depend on anything else and is beyond human control; something that is not relative; "no mortal being can influence the absolute" teacher - a personified abstraction that teaches; "books were his teachers"; "experience is a demanding teacher" thing - a special abstraction; "a thing of the spirit"; "things of the heart"
	2.	abstract - a sketchy summary of the main points of an argument or theory precis, synopsis, outline summary, sum-up - a brief statement that presents the main points in a concise form; "he gave a summary of the conclusions" brief - a condensed written summary or abstract apercu - a short synopsis epitome - a brief abstract (as of an article or book)
Verb	1.	abstract - consider a concept without thinking of a specific example; consider abstractly or theoretically consider, regard, view, reckon, see - deem to be; "She views this quite differently from me"; "I consider her to be shallow"; "I don't see the situation quite as negatively as you do"
	2.	abstract - make off with belongings of others cabbage, filch, pilfer, purloin, snarf, nobble, swipe, sneak, pinch, hook, lift steal - take without the owner's consent; "Someone stole my wallet on the train"; "This author stole entire paragraphs from my dissertation"
	3.	abstract - consider apart from a particular case or instance; "Let's abstract away from this particular example" look at, deal, consider, take - take into consideration for exemplifying purposes; "Take the case of China"; "Consider the following case"
	4.	abstract - give an abstract (of) sum up, summarize, summarise, resume - give a summary (of); "he summed up his results"; "I will now summarize"
Adj.	1.	abstract - existing only in the mind; separated from embodiment; "abstract words like `truth' and `justice'" nonrepresentational - of or relating to a style of art in which objects do not resemble those known in physical nature impalpable, intangible - incapable of being perceived by the senses especially the sense of touch; "the intangible constituent of energy"- James Jeans concrete - capable of being perceived by the senses; not abstract or imaginary; "concrete objects such as trees"
	2.	abstract - not representing or imitating external reality or the objects of nature; "a large abstract painting" abstractionist, nonfigurative, nonobjective nonrepresentational - of or relating to a style of art in which objects do not resemble those known in physical nature
	3.	abstract - dealing with a subject in the abstract without practical purpose or intention; "abstract reasoning"; "abstract science" theoretical - concerned with theories rather than their practical applications; "theoretical physics"

abstract

adjective

1. theoretical, general, complex, academic, intellectual, subtle, profound, philosophical, speculative, unrealistic, conceptual, indefinite, deep, separate, occult, hypothetical, generalized, impractical, arcane, notional, abstruse, recondite, theoretic, conjectural, unpractical, nonconcrete starting with a few abstract principles
theoretical real, material, specific, actual, concrete, definite, factual

2. symbolic, figurative, emblematic, impressionistic, non-representational a modern abstract painting

noun

1. summary, résumé, outline, extract, essence, summing-up, digest, epitome, rundown, condensation, compendium, synopsis, précis, recapitulation, review, abridgment If you want to submit a paper, you must supply an abstract.
summary expansion, enlargement

verb

1. extract, draw, pull, remove, separate, withdraw, isolate, pull out, take out, take away, detach, dissociate, pluck out The author has abstracted poems from earlier books.
extract add, combine, inject

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

abstract

adjective

1. Existing only in concept and not in reality:

hypothetic, hypothetical, ideal, theoretic, theoretical, transcendent, transcendental.

2. Concerned primarily with theories rather than practical matters:

academic, speculative, theoretic, theoretical.

noun

A short summary or version prepared by cutting down a larger work:

abridgment, brief, condensation, epitome, synopsis.

verb

1. To remove from association with:

detach, disassociate, disengage, dissociate, withdraw.

2. To give a recapitulation of the salient facts of:

epitomize, go over, recapitulate, review, run down, run through, summarize, sum up, synopsize, wrap up.

Informal: recap.

Translations

((فَنْ تَجْرِيدِيتَلْخِيص لِكِتَاب أو مَقَالَةمُجَرَّد مَحْسُوسنَظَرِيّ

abstraktníshrnutísouhrnvýtahvýtažek

abstraktresumeuddrag

abstrakt Zusammenfassung abstrahieren Auszug Extrakt

αφαιρώ θεωρητικός

abstracto extracto resumen abstraer

abstraktne

abstraktiabstraktioaineellistumaerillinenkäsite

abstrait abstraire résumé résumer retrancher

apstrakcijaapstraktansažetak

elvontrezümé

afstrakt, óhlutbundinnóhlutbundinn, óhlutstæîurútdráttur, ágrip

astratto riassumere sottrarre astrarre riassunto

抽象的な

추상적인

abstraktusreziumėsantrauka

abstraktskopsavilkumsrezumējums

abstract abstractie abstraheren afgezonderd afleiden

abstrakt resymé sammendragabstrahereabstraksjon

abstrakcyjny

abstrato resumo roubar sumário abstracto

абстрактный абстрагировать абстракт конспект реферат

abstraktný

abstraktenpovzetek

abstraktknyckanallasnostjäla

ที่เป็นนามธรรม

soyut özet

trừu tượng

抽象的摘要抽象派的

abstract

A. [ˈæbstrækt] ADJ → abstracto

B. [ˈæbstrækt] N

1. (= summary) → resumen m, sumario m

2. (Art) → pintura f abstracta

3. in the abstract → en abstracto

C. [æbˈstrækt] VT

1. (= remove) → quitar (Chem) → extraer

2. (= steal) → sustraer, robar

3. (= summarize) [+ book, article] → resumir

4. to abstract o.s → abstraerse (from de) → ensimismarse

D. [ˈæbstrækt] CPD abstract art N → arte m abstracto
abstract expressionism N → expresionismo m abstracto
abstract noun N → nombre m abstracto

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

abstract

[ˈæbstrækt]

adj

[idea, concept, thinking, reasoning] → abstrait(e)

(ART) [art, painting, sculpture] → abstrait(e)

(= summary) → résumé m

in the abstract → dans l'abstrait

[æbˈstrækt] vt (= extract) → extraire
to abstract sth from sth → extraire qch de qch

abstract

adj (all senses) → abstrakt; abstract noun → Abstraktum nt, → abstraktes Substantiv

n → (kurze) Zusammenfassung; in the abstract → abstrakt

abstract

vt → abstrahieren; information → entnehmen (from aus)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

abstract

[adj, n ˈæbstrækt; vb æbˈstrækt]

1. adj → astratto/a

2. n (summary) → riassunto, sommario; (picture) → opera astratta
in the abstract → in teoria, in astratto

3. vt (remove) → estrarre; (summarize) → riassumere

abstract

(ˈӕbstrӕkt) adjective

1. (of a noun) referring to something which exists as an idea and which is not physically real. Truth, poverty and bravery are abstract nouns.

2. (of painting, sculpture etc) concerned with colour, shape, texture etc rather than showing things as they really appear. an abstract sketch of a vase of flowers.

noun

a summary (of a book, article etc).

abstract

→ نَظَرِيّ abstraktní abstrakt abstrakt θεωρητικός abstracto abstrakti abstrait apstraktan astratto 抽象的な 추상적인 abstract abstrakt abstrakcyjny abstracto, abstrato абстрактный abstrakt ที่เป็นนามธรรม soyut trừu tượng 抽象的

ab·stract

n. extracto, cantidad pequeña; resumen;

v. separar, alejar; extractar; resumir;

a. abstracto-a.

References in classic literature ?

It is said to be one of the merits of the human mind that it is capable of framing abstract ideas, and of conducting nonsensational thought.

View in context

If the realm of human knowledge were confined to abstract reasoning, then having subjected to criticism the explanation of "power" that juridical science gives us, humanity would conclude that power is merely a word and has no real existence.

View in context

My work is now nearly finished; but as it will take me two or three more years to complete it, and as my health is far from strong, I have been urged to publish this Abstract. I have more especially been induced to do this, as Mr.

View in context

He was [29] meant--we see it in the variety, the high level both of matter and style, the animation, the gravity, of one after another of these thoughts--on religion, on poetry, on politics in the highest sense; on their most abstract principles, and on the authors who have given them a personal colour; on the genius of those authors, as well as on their concrete works; on outlying isolated subjects, such as music, and special musical composers--he was meant, if people ever are meant for special lines of activity, for the best sort of criticism, the imaginative criticism; that criticism which is itself a kind of construction, or creation, as it penetrates, through the given literary or artistic product, into the mental and inner constitution of the producer, shaping his work.

View in context

They are abstract terms: they are also the causes of things; and they are even transformed into the demons or spirits by whose help God made the world.

View in context

Not confining himself to theory, or permitting his faculties to rust, even at that early age, in mere abstract speculations, this promising lad commenced usurer on a limited scale at school; putting out at good interest a small capital of slate-pencil and marbles, and gradually extending his operations until they aspired to the copper coinage of this realm, in which he speculated to considerable advantage.

View in context

Send me a written abstract of the case, and I will forward it to one of the official people in the Rue Jerusalem, who will do anything he can to oblige me.

View in context

It was in part an offshoot from the Mysteries, in some of which there had appeared among the actors abstract allegorical figures, either good or bad, such as The Seven Deadly Sins, Contemplation, and Raise-Slander.

View in context

Intellect and intellection signify to the common ear consideration of abstract truth.

View in context

They say, when he was a little boy, he made an abstract of

View in context

You have given me your abstract of a marriage settlement with the brevity of an ancient Roman.

View in context

It was more, perhaps, with an eye to the danger which lurked in this quarter, than from his abstract love of conversation with the sex, that the hangman, quickening his steps, now hastened into their society, cursing the amorous natures of Hugh and Mr Tappertit with great heartiness, at every step he took.