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
To address this challenge, Codesphere was designed as an abstraction layer that operates on top of any infrastructure—whether AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or an on-premise server—allowing businesses to work across multiple environments without being locked into one vendor.
—
Jason Phillips, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
These unofficial remixes, uploaded from unremarkable accounts, create a kind of Satie-esque audio overdose, pounding the band’s melody into abstraction, pure stimulus.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2025
Messaging must make distinctions, but also avoid getting lost in parenthetic abstractions or potentially easier-to-discredit targets.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025
While Mars itself is the subject of fascination and rabid speculation, Martians, as a species and concept, remain mostly an abstraction.
—David Kamp, Air Mail, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstraction
Jason Phillips, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
These unofficial remixes, uploaded from unremarkable accounts, create a kind of Satie-esque audio overdose, pounding the band’s melody into abstraction, pure stimulus.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2025
Messaging must make distinctions, but also avoid getting lost in parenthetic abstractions or potentially easier-to-discredit targets.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025
While Mars itself is the subject of fascination and rabid speculation, Martians, as a species and concept, remain mostly an abstraction.
—David Kamp, Air Mail, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstraction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstraction
Noun
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As a public institution, UVU upholds First Amendment rights and fosters an environment where ideas – popular or controversial – can be exchanged freely, energetically, and civilly.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
15 Sep. 2025
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Some ideas came from experience.—
Sophie Carson,
jsonline.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Each module has a video component and addresses real-world concepts for AI use cases in automotive.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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Zara relocated and expanded into an elevated design department store-style concept featuring a dedicated Zara Athletics section.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This disastrously cramped conception of who gets to have a day in court would be the main target of my outrage if the court’s opinion on the use of ethnicity, language and workplace as factors in immigration enforcement weren’t even more upsetting.—
Noah Feldman,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
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Political theorist Antonio Gramsci (1891–1937), an Italian anti-fascist journalist, organizer, and imprisoned political dissident, offered a conception of society and described the possibilities for changing social orders.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But these teachings challenge any notion of hoarding resources for oneself—or one’s precious group—at the expense of others in need.—
John Fugelsang
September 12,
Literary Hub,
12 Sep. 2025
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But the notion that the president himself is the leader of Tren de Aragua is a bit of stretch, according to Ronna Rísquez, the author of the book El Tren de Aragua.—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Here, though, the research team is trying to model people’s thoughts on financial policy, which is why the enumerated outcomes include initial rate recommendations, made up of a preferred policy rate, a confidence score, and a summary.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Lauren, 40, then chimed in with her own thoughts on what makes their relationship work after all these years.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Danni-Elle Townsend, who’s made a solid impression in PPA internationals this year, was upset in the first round by 43-yr old qualifier and eventual Bronze medalist from Japan Rika Fujiwara, a former WTA tennis pro who toured for more than 20 years before retiring from Tennis in 2020.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Rookie pitcher Ryan Bergert has made a strong impression with the Kansas City Royals since arriving from the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abstraction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstraction. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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