as in idea
something imagined or pictured in the mind
to a people who have lived under one dictatorship after another, democracy and freedom are mere abstractions
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Recent Examples of abstraction
The clouds, which will hang past the security gates, are by Tomás Saraceno, an Argentine who builds abstractions of clouds and spiderwebs.
—
Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 27 Oct. 2025
Its abstraction feels less evasive than connective, demanding engagement with the core fear rather than the distraction of specifics; the threat can no longer be imagined as some specific other — some other government, some other madman.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Whereas therapy looks backward to heal, and self-help often floats in abstraction, Space of mind looks forward, quantifying how identity, beliefs, and emotions evolve over time.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
Generations of creatives have been inspired by African tribal art, from Pablo Picasso’s stylized abstractions to Amedeo Modigliani’s masklike portraits.
—Jill Newman, Robb Report, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstraction
Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 27 Oct. 2025
Its abstraction feels less evasive than connective, demanding engagement with the core fear rather than the distraction of specifics; the threat can no longer be imagined as some specific other — some other government, some other madman.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Whereas therapy looks backward to heal, and self-help often floats in abstraction, Space of mind looks forward, quantifying how identity, beliefs, and emotions evolve over time.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
Generations of creatives have been inspired by African tribal art, from Pablo Picasso’s stylized abstractions to Amedeo Modigliani’s masklike portraits.
—Jill Newman, Robb Report, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstraction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstraction
Noun
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Seven decades later, these ideas are mainstream in both Israeli and US discourse.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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One idea that still looks elegant but adds a little something-something?—
Luz García,
Glamour,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Always Greener, which scored 15 nominations on the annual Brit List, is a high concept script that follows a struggling artist, haunted by past failure, who is given a one-in-a-million chance to become his rich and successful doppelganger from a parallel universe.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
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The challengers are also trying to channel the conservative justices’ skepticism about whether the Constitution allows other parts of the government to use powers reserved for Congress, a concept known as the nondelegation doctrine.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Farrell and Kidman are outstanding, even as Lanthimos' ritualistic plotting and direction keep them hemmed into their characters' rigid conceptions.—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
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In total, making the piece took four years from conception to creation.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But Interview With the Vampire set a precedent for transformative TV from the Immortal Universe, its narrative and visual audacity subverting adaptation tropes and genre storytelling by challenging viewers’ notions of immortality, sexuality, and destiny.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
25 Oct. 2025
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From these revolutionary realizations, the notion of the expanding Universe was born.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Or is there some other thought process?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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Those are the real thoughts and conversations these controllers are having.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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But don’t let the tragic tale color your impression of the Park; during the holidays its annual Christmas at the Falls event transforms the area into one of the merriest and brightest spots around.—
Jennifer Stewart Kornegay,
Southern Living,
4 Nov. 2025
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Visually, that might not leave much of an impression, but the proximity of a supermoon has an effect on Earth, causing higher tides than normal.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abstraction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstraction. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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