abstract

³ab·stract

verb
\ab-ˈstrakt, ˈab-ˌ, in sense 3 usually ˈab-ˌ\

Definition of ABSTRACT

transitive verb

1

: remove, separate

2

: to consider apart from application to or association with a particular instance

3

: to make a summary or abstract of : summarize

4

: to draw away the attention of

5

: steal, purloin

intransitive verb

: to make an abstraction

— ab·stract·able \-ˈstrak-tə-bəl, -ˌstrak-\ adjective

— ab·strac·tor or ab·stract·er \-tər\ noun

Examples of ABSTRACT

1. Data for the study was abstracted from hospital records.
2. <personal problems abstracted him so persistently that he struggled to keep his mind on his work>
3. … artists in the group put the emphasis on geometric abstraction rather than images abstracted from nature. —Robert Atkins, Art Spoke, 1993
4. … the Romantic project was to abstract from religion its essential “feeling” and leave contemptuously behind its traditional formulations. —Theodore Roszak, The Making of a Counter Culture, 1969
5. … conscientiously and with great purity made the uncompromising effort to abstract his view of life into an art work … —Norman Mailer, Advertisements for Myself, 1959
6. … basic esthetic criteria and standards he has abstracted from long intimacy with time-tested masterpieces. —Aline B. Saarinen, New York Times Book Review, 7 Nov. 1954

Origin of ABSTRACT

(see ¹abstract)

First Known Use: 1542

Related to ABSTRACT

Synonyms: distract, call off, detract, divert, throw off

Related Words: amuse, beguile, entertain; stray, wander

Near Antonyms: concentrate, focus

see all synonyms and antonyms

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