abstracted 1 of 2

abstracted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of abstract

Synonym Chooser

How is the word abstracted distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of abstracted are absentminded, absent, distracted, and preoccupied. While all these words mean "inattentive to what claims or demands consideration," abstracted implies absorption of the mind in something other than one's surroundings, and often suggests reflection on weighty matters.

walking about with an abstracted air

In what contexts can absent take the place of abstracted?

Although the words absent and abstracted have much in common, absent stresses inability to fix the mind on present concerns due more to mental wandering than to concentration on other matters.

an absent stare

When can absentminded be used instead of abstracted?

In some situations, the words absentminded and abstracted are roughly equivalent. However, absentminded implies that the mind is fixed elsewhere and often refers to a habit of abstractedness.

so absentminded, he's been known to wear mismatched shoes

When would distracted be a good substitute for abstracted?

The words distracted and abstracted are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, distracted may suggest an inability to concentrate caused by worry, sorrow, or anxiety.

was too distracted by grief to continue working

When could preoccupied be used to replace abstracted?

While the synonyms preoccupied and abstracted are close in meaning, preoccupied often implies having one's attention so taken up by thoughts as to neglect others.

too preoccupied with her debts to enjoy the meal

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of abstracted
Adjective
Larry Aldrich, the museum’s founder, visited Diamond’s studio in 1972 and subsequently acquired Untitled (1972), one of her early abstracted landscapes, and put it in a group show—marking her first museum acquisition and exhibition. Grace Edquist, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2024 The dialectic talk can feel a bit abstracted from politics, as can spotting Marx in every mention of equity. Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
Verb
As inference workloads move into physical environments, latency becomes a liability, a variable that can’t be abstracted away with more compute. Ivo Ivanov, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025 The work instead appears to unfold in segments that are vaguely linear, with the plot of the Shakespeare play abstracted into moving tableaux. Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 4 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for abstracted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstracted
Adjective
  • What's popular is appearing preoccupied, too busy scrolling on one's phone to look around—and too caught up with one's many friends to make any new ones at a mall.
    Annabelle Canela, Parents, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Jihan peers closer at these images, now sensing in some of them that her father seems preoccupied, as if already aware of the tragic fate that would befall him.
    Leila Latif, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • No smear campaign distracted them.
    Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Toward the end of the first set and beginning of the second, Anisimova appeared distracted by the lights and the roof, which were closed due to heavy rain in New York.
    Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Antonio Torres then summarized his claims, saying Geller had signed off on athletes in similar situations in the past.
    Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Evaluating Oracle across Growth, Profitability, Financial Stability, and Downturn Resilience suggests the company retains a strong operating and financial base, as summarized below.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The incident caused a lengthy closure of southbound lanes of I-15 as the shooting was investigated, with vehicles initially being diverted to SR-163 on Friday evening.
    Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
  • While the process looks different today, and much is diverted to more modern structures like shopping malls, water diversion in places such as Maui used to be laid out naturally flowing from the mountains to the ocean in land division called ahupuaʻa.
    Jessica Rendall, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • While Italy is expected to make progress in bringing its deficit under control, France shows no signs of doing so, Nomura outlined.
    Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
  • The speakers and attendees outlined their vision for the world at a time when national conservatism has reached its zenith of influence.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 3 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Abstracted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstracted. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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