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
-
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 concept of juxtaposing this style with stereotypically macho coal miners was revisited when RuPaul hosted the show in 2020 – resulting in a second coal-miner sketch that wound up cut for time.—
Jesse Hassenger,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 May 2026
-
Modern stay-tabs evolved directly from Fraze’s original concept, which reshaped the soft drink and beer industries.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
28 May 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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Why beef culture and agriculture matter in Texas Some of Talarico's critics seemed to be ripping on his manhood, referencing his support for the LGBTQ+ community, along with the purportedly unmanly notion of having, at one time, eschewed meat.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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Ibarra pushed back on the notion that AI may severely reduce opportunities for developers and IT professionals.—
Joe McKendrick,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
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What started in 2024 as the two-day Outside Festival at Civic Center moves to the Auraria Campus, expanding to three days of music, film, thought-provoking speakers and outdoors culture.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
28 May 2026
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After the board allowed the public to share their thoughts, Violet used the opportunity to speak about how a post-viral condition affected her health and inspired her advocacy.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
28 May 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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