in the abstract

phrase

: without referring to a specific person, object, or event : in a general way
thinking about freedom in the abstract

Examples of in the abstract in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adapt Brand Language To The Buying Moment Most prelaunch companies define voice in the abstract, then push it into every channel. Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026 Harder to account for, at least in the abstract, are the film’s strange detours into the life of a picture-perfect Tulsa family, whose parents are played by William Jackson Harper and Devyn Tyler. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2026 The public appears to know what’s going on While economists spent two years building models, most Americans seem to have reached a verdict already—not about AI in the abstract, but about the class system at work in the economy. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026 While suicide is always physically possible, there is a difference between recognizing that fact in the abstract and encountering death as an option presented by one’s physician. Monika Piotrowska, STAT, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for in the abstract

Cite this Entry

“In the abstract.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20abstract. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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