Abstraction

/əbˈstɹæk.ʃn̩/ · noun

Meaning

The act of abstracting, separating, withdrawing, or taking away; withdrawal; the state of being taken away..

Definitions by Sense

1. The act of abstracting, separating, withdrawing, or taking away; withdrawal; the state of being taken away.
2. A separation from worldly objects; a recluse life; the withdrawal from one's senses.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. A member of an idealized subgroup when contemplated according to the abstracted quality which defines the subgroup.
6. The act of comparing commonality between distinct objects and organizing using those similarities; the act of generalizing characteristics; the product of said generalization.
7. An idea or notion of an abstract or theoretical nature.
8. Absence or absorption of mind; inattention to present objects; preoccupation.

Example Sentences

The cancelling of the debt would be no destruction of wealth, but a transfer of it: a wrongful abstraction of wealth from certain members of the community, for the profit of the government, or of the tax-payers.

a hermit’s abstraction

Holonym: induction

Abstraction is necessary for the classification of things into genera and species.

Abstraction is no positive act: it is simply the negative of attention.

to fight for mere abstractions

"One penny, sir!" He was roused at once from his abstraction; for it was a question to himself whether he had even that in his pocket. Sixpence was, however, discovered; he paid the toll, and passed on.

At one point, her spidery abstractions gave way to a series of abruptly syncopated hits, like a deranged allusion to the Thelonious Monk tune “Evidence.”

Synonyms for abstraction

Antonyms for abstraction

Related Words

Word Forms

• abstractions

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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