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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 abstraction
Kraftwerk’s Map of the World Beyond Worlds Each song in Kraftwerk's set was a meditation on different aspects of this hidden realm:
Numbers presented pure abstraction, numbers not as human symbols, but as ontological realities, revealed through machine logic.
—
Amir Husain, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
But the internet, for the most part, is approached as an abstraction, which intensifies the pressure on the passages that convey offline reality.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
These three concepts of power are more than just academic abstractions.
—Andrew Latham, The Conversation, 29 Apr. 2025
The effect, which spoke to a different part of my brain than is usually accessed in the theater, communicated something profound about gender politics — and not in intellectual abstractions but in the liberated movement of defiant bodies and souls.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstraction
Amir Husain, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
But the internet, for the most part, is approached as an abstraction, which intensifies the pressure on the passages that convey offline reality.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
These three concepts of power are more than just academic abstractions.
—Andrew Latham, The Conversation, 29 Apr. 2025
The effect, which spoke to a different part of my brain than is usually accessed in the theater, communicated something profound about gender politics — and not in intellectual abstractions but in the liberated movement of defiant bodies and souls.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstraction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstraction
Noun
-
Per usual, the old and new world methods clash over topics like whether to physically restrain Emma to a bed, and Theophilus is convinced that anything that looks like rational evidence against his ideas is just Satan manipulating everyone’s brain.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
4 June 2025
-
Entertainment companies have been exploring how to use AI in their processes, which supporters say can help reduce costs and allow creatives to test bold ideas without as many financial constraints.—
Wendy Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
For instance, many of my coachees/leaders who have grown vertically on their own weren’t familiar with this concept until they were introduced to it in their organization’s professional development program.—
Liz Guthridge,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
-
During this period, pride was often found capitalized and linked to the Christian concept of the seven deadly sins.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
28 May 2025
Noun
-
As a child growing up in Greensboro, North Carolina, Elliott Hundley formed his conception of how artists live based on cinematic archetypes of painters and sculptors roughing it in bohemian splendor in converted industrial spaces.—
Mayer Rus,
Architectural Digest,
30 May 2025
-
Akin uses a child’s perspective to wrestle with a nation’s conception of itself in the waning days of brutality.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
The very notion of shared destiny and collective goals is fading.—
Sturla Henriksen,
Time,
5 June 2025
-
Many of the pointed questions that Cruz Guerrero sought answers to in the text revolved around fatherhood, namely the elusive notion of work-life balance.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
Noun
-
The thought of sitting out spring practices never crossed star running back Kyren Williams’ mind, despite an ongoing contract negotiation between his representatives and the Los Angeles Rams.—
Jourdan Rodrigue,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
-
And, of course, doing all these things in the presence of clients just shows a complete lack of rational thought.—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
Okonkwo made a huge impression in north Wales and his move was made permanent last summer on a free transfer.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
-
But my impression is that my biggest problems with this season, from the killing of Joel to the single-minded vengeance arc, are all downstream of story decisions made years ago during the development of The Last of Us Part 2.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abstraction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstraction. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share