abstract

Pronunciation

noun

• IPA ^(key): /ˈæbˌstrækt/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

adjective

• (US) IPA ^(key): /ˌæbˈstrækt/ or /əbˈstrækt/ or /ˈæbˌstrækt/
• (UK) IPA ^(key): /ˈæbˌstrækt/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

verb

• IPA ^(key): /ˌæbˈstrækt/ or /əbˈstrækt/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ab‧stract

Adjective

Positive abstract

Comparative more abstract

Superlative most abstract

1. If something is abstract, you cannot touch it, and it is difficult to imagine or think about.
   • Synonym: abstruse

   A lot of abstract painting uses harsh shapes and most people do not like it.

   More abstract ideas like "democracy" are not possible for animals.

   Houses and books are things you can touch. Honesty, patience and courage are abstract.

2. (logic) If something is abstract, it is general.
   • Synonym: general
   • Antonym: particular
3. If something is abstract, it is thought of as apart from any other use with an object; it is removed from it; it is separate or abstracted.
   • Synonyms: removed and separate
4. If something is abstract, it is not practical or realistic; it is not concrete; it is theoretical; it is vague.
   • Synonyms: vague and theoretical
   • Antonyms: applied, practical, realistic and concrete
5. If something is abstract, it does not have all of the facts; it is not factual.
   • Synonym: formal
   • Antonym: factual

Related words

• abstractly
• abstractness

Noun

Singular abstract

Plural abstracts

1. (countable) An abstract is a short text that tells you the main ideas of a longer text, especially of scientific papers; it is a summary of something longer.
   • Synonyms: summary, synopsis and epitome

   The abstract of Isaac Newton's laws of gravity may be no more than 150 words.

2. (countable) An abstract is an abstraction; it is an abstract word.
3. (countable); (art) An abstract is a piece of art that is made in the abstract fashion of art.
4. (countable); (medicine) An abstract is a powdered solid extract of a vegetable that is then mixed with the sugar of milk.

Related words

• abstraction

Verb

Plain form abstract

Third-person singular abstracts

Past tense abstracted

Past participle abstracted

Present participle abstracting

1. (transitive) If you abstract something, you summarize it; you abridge it.
2. (transitive) If you abstract something, you separate it; you remove it.
3. (transitive) If you abstract something, you withdraw it.
4. (transitive); (art) If you abstract something, you make abstractions of it in art.
5. (transitive); (euphemistic) If you abstract something, you take it away from someone without permission; you steal it.
   • Synonyms: filch, purloin and steal
6. (transitive) If you abstract something, you think about it separate from everything else; you consider it abstractly.
7. (intransitive); (rare) If you abstract something, you go through the process or abstraction.

Related words

• abstractable
• abstracted
• abstracter
• abstractor