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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of abstraction
None of this excuses shortfalls that leave Texas orchards short; the Santa Rosa mill’s closure is not an abstraction.
—
Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
Their carelessness and abstraction.
—Francesco Pacifico, The Dial, 9 Dec. 2025
The paintings are serious works of deliberate construction which read satisfactorily as abstractions not unrelated to the work of Caio Fonseca.
—Erin Parish, Miami Herald, 5 Dec. 2025
Thorough audit of old architecture, gradual migration of key components, facades, abstractions to avoid breaking everything at once.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstraction
Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
Their carelessness and abstraction.
—Francesco Pacifico, The Dial, 9 Dec. 2025
The paintings are serious works of deliberate construction which read satisfactorily as abstractions not unrelated to the work of Caio Fonseca.
—Erin Parish, Miami Herald, 5 Dec. 2025
Thorough audit of old architecture, gradual migration of key components, facades, abstractions to avoid breaking everything at once.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstraction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstraction
Noun
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The owner of the space approached them and offered a good deal, Santos says, and the Eighth Street location fit with their idea of a Miami-forward restaurant.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 Jan. 2026
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Have a story idea or tip in Harlem?—
Noelle Lilley,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The company underlined that stellarators are one of the top performing fusion concepts in the race to reach net positive energy.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Jan. 2026
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Now, none of the concepts redrawing state borders have a political chance of becoming reality.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Louis Harveson, Sul Ross State’s associate provost for research and development, helped guide the effort from conception to launch.—
Lana Ferguson,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Jan. 2026
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Once conception occurs, a first prenatal appointment is usually recommended between week six and eight.—
Hannah Nwoko,
Parents,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The outlet also said that Rezaei maintained that Iran would abandon any notion of a ceasefire if attacked.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
16 Jan. 2026
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So just for the sake of this exercise, let’s go along with the notion of Terry Rozier’s cap hold and Simone Fontecchio’s expiring.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Age has brought thoughts of conservatism scurrying into the back of his mind.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
16 Jan. 2026
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And shared these thoughts with my friend Golan Haji, the Syrian Kurdish writer in Arabic who lives in France, and whose mother had recently died in Qamishli.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Montha connected on a trio of shots from behind the arc in the second quarter, as the junior point guard did his best Steph Curry impression to help the Tillers to a 33-26 halftime advantage over the Eagles (12-7, 1-1).—
David Delgado,
Oc Register,
7 Jan. 2026
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There’s also the fact that the impression fans or analysts form about a team is often weighted toward the offensive end of the football, and Denver’s sporadic nature on that side of the ball this season has contributed to the lukewarm view some have of the team.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abstraction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstraction. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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