abstraction

noun

ab·strac·tion | \ ab-ˈstrak-shən

, əb-\

Definition of abstraction

1a : the act or process of abstracting : the state of being abstracted

b : an abstract idea or term

2 : absence of mind or preoccupation

3 : abstract quality or character

4a : an abstract composition or creation in art

b : abstractionism

Other Words from abstraction Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about abstraction

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Other Words from abstraction

abstractional \ -shnəl

, -shə-nᵊl \ adjective

abstractive \ ab-ˈstrak-tiv

, ˈab-ˌ \ adjective

Did You Know?

From its roots, abstraction should mean basically "something pulled or drawn away". So abstract art is art that has moved away from painting objects of the ordinary physical world in order to show something beyond it. Theories are often abstractions; so a theory about economics, for instance, may "pull back" to take a broad view that somehow explains all of economics (but maybe doesn't end up explaining any of it very successfully). An abstract of a medical or scientific article is a one-paragraph summary of its contents—that is, the basic findings "pulled out" of the article.

Examples of abstraction in a Sentence

abstraction of data from hospital records “Beauty” and “truth” are abstractions. She gazed out the window in abstraction.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some build up to absurd but engaging, figurative abstractions. — Charles Desmarais, San Francisco Chronicle, "Optimism is opening an art gallery, and its name is Burning in Water," 27 Apr. 2018 Buckholtz spun images of post-Impressionist paintings and recorded the turning from above with a shaking video camera to make an animated abstraction that unfolds in super-slow motion. — BostonGlobe.com, "The Ticket: What’s happening in the local arts world," 20 Apr. 2018 With a style that leans toward contemporary abstraction, Troy crafts rebar pieces that are equally industrial and whimsical. — Lucia Tonelli, ELLE Decor, "A Bold and Sculptural New Furniture Collection Inspired by the Basics," 26 Feb. 2019 In the energetic swirl of allegorical motifs and internal references, in smearing the line between figuration and abstraction, Kokoschka emerges as a forerunner of artists like R.B. Kitaj and Georg Baselitz. — A.j. Goldmann, WSJ, "‘Oskar Kokoschka—Expressionist, Migrant, European. A Retrospective’ Review: Longevity as Blessing and Curse," 2 Jan. 2019 As with all of Arp’s shifting abstractions, however, its forms are all and, fleetingly, none of those things. — Lance Esplund, WSJ, "‘The Nature of Arp’ Review: Revolutionary Forms," 30 Oct. 2018 Ansel doesn’t repudiate narrative with abstraction in the manner of her modernist forefathers. — Cate Mcquaid, BostonGlobe.com, "‘Pushing Painting’ presents the medium’s possibilities," 20 June 2018 Klee opened up for me not just the world of abstraction, but the world of art. — Lance Esplund, WSJ, "A Life-Changing Art Encounter," 23 Nov. 2018 The piece is largely abstract and full of abstractions, Jan admits. — Ryan Kost, San Francisco Chronicle, "Lars Jan explores father’s past, paranoia during YBCA festival," 15 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abstraction.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for abstraction

borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French, "abduction (of a woman), removal, extraction (of a foreign body from a wound), (in philosophy) process by which the mind is able to form universal representations of the properties of distinct objects," borrowed from Late Latin abstractiōn-, abstractiō, from Latin abstrac- (variant stem of abstrahere "to remove forcibly") + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns — more at abstract entry 1

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