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 film is stylized to the point of abstraction; the production budget in glitter, tinfoil, transparent plastics, strobes, smoke machines and red or blue lighting gels must have exceeded everything else.
—
Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2026
The resulting abstractions speak quietly but powerfully about migration, legitimacy, and the systems that regulate belonging.
—Olga Garcia-Mayoral, Miami Herald, 19 May 2026
Its engineers went below this already deep layer of abstraction to work directly in PTX, a kind of assembly language for Nvidia GPUs.
—Sheon Han, Wired News, 11 May 2026
From a distance, Eugène Atget’s photograph Environs, Amiens (circa 1897) appears to be an abstraction.
—Max Norman, The New York Review of Books, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for abstraction
Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2026
The resulting abstractions speak quietly but powerfully about migration, legitimacy, and the systems that regulate belonging.
—Olga Garcia-Mayoral, Miami Herald, 19 May 2026
Its engineers went below this already deep layer of abstraction to work directly in PTX, a kind of assembly language for Nvidia GPUs.
—Sheon Han, Wired News, 11 May 2026
From a distance, Eugène Atget’s photograph Environs, Amiens (circa 1897) appears to be an abstraction.
—Max Norman, The New York Review of Books, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for abstraction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstraction
Noun
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The two can talk through any challenging or creative idea for hours or go their separate ways.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
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However, bright, clever ideas also might spring up in your mind.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
30 May 2026
Noun
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The rooms The spacious one-bedroom guest houses come in four different layouts, including the Tree Haus, a two-floor concept perched 23 feet in the air among the pine trees with a fireplace on both floors.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
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Joining Shake Shack are Ramen + Bao and Wonder, two different concepts intended to elevate the center’s dining experience.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
4 June 2026
Noun
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This conception emphasizes the need for a press independent of the state, which will provide the basis for the independent public opinion on which the legitimacy of democratic government is based.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
26 May 2026
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Though Blanche will appoint the five commissioners tasked with processing claims, his precise role in the fund’s conception and implementation is unclear.—
Eric Tucker,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
Noun
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The property is reachable by water, and any notion of building or installing amenities comes with a to-do list that starts with conversations with local agencies.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
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Some Montana hunters balk at the notion that corner-crossing needs to be defined, at all.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2026
Noun
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Our thoughts are with their family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
5 June 2026
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At least that was the thought entering the NBA Finals, where the Spurs, a team with rich championship history, have been known to have one of the most passionate fanbases in all of sports.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
4 June 2026
Noun
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For nearly 24 hours after CNN reported on Wednesday that Carroll was the target of a criminal investigation, the DOJ did not correct the record and even appeared to give some media outlets the impression that the original story was somewhat accurate.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
31 May 2026
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Companies with a track record of straight dealing tend to get more grace in difficult moments than those who’ve spent years optimizing for surface-level impressions.—
Rhett Power,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abstraction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstraction. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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