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ABSTRACT
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A concept or idea not associated with any specific instance
Example:
he loved her only in the abstract--not in person
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("abstract" is a kind of...):
concept; conception; construct (an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instances)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "abstract"):
right (an abstract idea of that which is due to a person or governmental body by law or tradition or nature)
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)
teacher (a personified abstraction that teaches)
thing (a special abstraction)
Derivation:
abstract (consider a concept without thinking of a specific example; consider abstractly or theoretically)
abstract (consider apart from a particular case or instance)
abstract (existing only in the mind; separated from embodiment)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A sketchy summary of the main points of an argument or theory
Synonyms:
abstract; outline; precis; synopsis
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("abstract" is a kind of...):
sum-up; summary (a brief statement that presents the main points in a concise form)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "abstract"):
brief (a condensed written summary or abstract)
apercu (a short synopsis)
epitome (a brief abstract (as of an article or book))
Derivation:
abstract (give an abstract (of))
II. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Existing only in the mind; separated from embodiment
Example:
abstract words like 'truth' and 'justice'
Classified under:
Similar:
conceptional; ideational; notional (being of the nature of a notion or concept)
conceptual (being or characterized by concepts or their formation)
ideal (constituting or existing only in the form of an idea or mental image or conception)
ideologic; ideological (concerned with or suggestive of ideas)
Also:
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)
Attribute:
abstractness (the quality of being considered apart from a specific instance or object)
Antonym:
concrete (capable of being perceived by the senses; not abstract or imaginary)
Derivation:
abstract (a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance)
abstractness (the quality of being considered apart from a specific instance or object)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Dealing with a subject in the abstract without practical purpose or intention
Example:
abstract science
Classified under:
Similar:
theoretical (concerned with theories rather than their practical applications)
Derivation:
abstractness (the quality of being considered apart from a specific instance or object)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Not representing or imitating external reality or the objects of nature
Example:
a large abstract painting
Synonyms:
abstract; abstractionist; nonfigurative; nonobjective
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
nonrepresentational (of or relating to a style of art in which objects do not resemble those known in physical nature)
Derivation:
abstractness (the quality of being considered apart from a specific instance or object)
III. (verb)
Verb forms
Present simple: I / you / we / they abstract ... he / she / it abstracts
Past simple: abstracted
Past participle: abstracted
-ing form: abstracting
Sense 1
Meaning:
Consider a concept without thinking of a specific example; consider abstractly or theoretically
Classified under:
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting
Hypernyms (to "abstract" is one way to...):
consider; reckon; regard; see; view (deem to be)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Derivation:
abstract (a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance)
abstraction (a general concept formed by extracting common features from specific examples)
abstraction (the process of formulating general concepts by abstracting common properties of instances)
abstraction (a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance)
abstractive (of an abstracting nature or having the power of abstracting)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Consider apart from a particular case or instance
Example:
Let's abstract away from this particular example
Classified under:
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting
Hypernyms (to "abstract" is one way to...):
consider; deal; look at; take (take into consideration for exemplifying purposes)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s PP
Derivation:
abstractive (of an abstracting nature or having the power of abstracting)
abstract (a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Give an abstract (of)
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Hypernyms (to "abstract" is one way to...):
resume; sum up; summarise; summarize (give a summary (of))
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Derivation:
abstract (a sketchy summary of the main points of an argument or theory)
abstracter; abstractor (one who makes abstracts or summarizes information)
Sense 4
Meaning:
Make off with belongings of others
Synonyms:
abstract; cabbage; filch; hook; lift; nobble; pilfer; pinch; purloin; snarf; sneak; swipe
Classified under:
Verbs of buying, selling, owning
Hypernyms (to "abstract" is one way to...):
rip; rip off; steal (take without the owner's consent)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something from somebody
Context examples:
The process of formulating general concepts by abstracting common properties of instances; reasoning from detailed facts to general principles.
(Generalization, NCI Thesaurus)
In general, a namespace is an abstract container, which is or could be filled by names, or technical terms, or words, and these represent or stand for real-world things.
(Namespace, NCI Thesaurus)
The terminology entity that represents the NCI Thesaurus universe; the abstract container that holds all of the NCI Thesaurus terminology entities and concepts.
(NCI Namespace, NCI Thesaurus)
As I sat there, fingering the cards in an abstracted way, some chance led me to observe the small needle-pricks which you have just felt.
(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Abstract class that specifies for subclasses an association to NameValueTypes.
(Extendable Class, NCI Thesaurus)
A text that abstracts the salient information from the document summary description.
(Document Summary Description Synopsis, NCI Thesaurus)
The dysfunction is multifaceted and involves memory, behavior, personality, judgment, attention, spatial relations, language, abstract thought, and other executive functions.
(Dementia, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)
Loss of intellectual functions such as memory, learning, reasoning, problem solving, and abstract thinking while vegetative functions remain intact.
(Dementia, NIH CRISP Thesaurus)
This is generally of type feature but can be specified as reporters or compositeSequence for arrays that are abstracted from a physical array.
(Design Element, NCI Thesaurus)
An abstract of a document detailed description which represents its most significant information.
(Document Summary Description, NCI Thesaurus)
