Abstraction

Quick meaning: Abstraction is a noun meaning The act of abstracting, separating, withdrawing, or taking away; withdrawal; the state of being taken away.

Meaning

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

More Meanings

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

Example Sentences

Holonym: induction

a hermit’s abstraction

to fight for mere abstractions

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

Word Forms

• abstractions

Synonyms for abstraction

Depending on context, synonyms include universalization, abstract, extraction, generalization, abstractedness.

Antonyms for abstraction

Common opposites include specialization, concretization.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include extraction, generalization, abstract, abstractedness, abduction, abducted.

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