as in notions
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 abstractions
My career as a deputy public defender has also taught me that the people who appear in court are not abstractions.
—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Daily News, 3 June 2026
The reader is meant to fill those abstractions—what injustice is?
—Craig Morgan Teicher, Literary Hub, 1 June 2026
By assigning a location, a water estimate, and an energy profile to facilities that often exist only as abstractions, the tool gives residents a concrete starting point for understanding what is being built near them.
—Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 31 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
My patients were not abstractions.
—Frances Mei Hardin, Sun Sentinel, 14 May 2026
Having failed to please Greene with her abstractions, Lovelace O’Neal applied the powder directly to her white canvases, covering it in black pigment that became a background to pastel squiggles.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 13 May 2026
Advertisement The eight children killed in Shreveport—Jayla, Shayla, Kayla, Layla, Markaydon, Sariahh, Khedarrion, and Braylon were not abstractions.
—Earl Smith, Time, 5 May 2026
The approach could feel guarded, reducing intense emotions to abstractions, but in Llobet’s cutting delivery, even the haziest imagery feels personal and real.
—Colin Joyce, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Daily News, 3 June 2026
The reader is meant to fill those abstractions—what injustice is?
—Craig Morgan Teicher, Literary Hub, 1 June 2026
By assigning a location, a water estimate, and an energy profile to facilities that often exist only as abstractions, the tool gives residents a concrete starting point for understanding what is being built near them.
—Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 31 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
My patients were not abstractions.
—Frances Mei Hardin, Sun Sentinel, 14 May 2026
Having failed to please Greene with her abstractions, Lovelace O’Neal applied the powder directly to her white canvases, covering it in black pigment that became a background to pastel squiggles.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 13 May 2026
Advertisement The eight children killed in Shreveport—Jayla, Shayla, Kayla, Layla, Markaydon, Sariahh, Khedarrion, and Braylon were not abstractions.
—Earl Smith, Time, 5 May 2026
The approach could feel guarded, reducing intense emotions to abstractions, but in Llobet’s cutting delivery, even the haziest imagery feels personal and real.
—Colin Joyce, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstractions
Noun
-
Steven was very generous in his consideration of the notions that occurred to me.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 June 2026
-
But with what seems like a Ripper copycat on the loose, everyone needs to put aside their preconceived notions and figure out what’s going on.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Jones, a junior infielder/pitcher, had other ideas.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2026
-
But producing candidate ideas was never the whole job.—
Christian Catalini,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Transparency, accountability, due process, explainability, and the ability to challenge decisions are not merely technical concepts.—
Joseph Andrew,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
-
Few city planning concepts are as sacrosanct as the idea that growth is good and decline is bad.—
Christopher Briem,
The Conversation,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
What are your thoughts about bringing your philosophy of humanistic capitalism to China with this film?—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
13 June 2026
-
Not one to hold back his thoughts, Tablo took to social media to express his frustration with the lack of transparency about the ticket venues, especially for the VIP experience, tagging Mithra Jin and DJ Tukutz as collaborators on the post.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
Thus, the cisgendered body and heterosexuality are a dynamic instead of a foundation to our conceptions of Black motherhood.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
Users could compare the two and get a window into their own conceptions of the game.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
American strikes also destroyed what appears to be drinking water infrastructure on Iran’s southern coast early yesterday, according to videos and pictures shared by Iranian media and geolocated by NBC News.—
Sarah Dean,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
-
The festival Thursday had a family-friendly vibe, with everyone taking pictures and enjoying time together, said Maria Botchatcher.—
Zuri Primos
June 11,
Kansas City Star,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Roach also shared his impressions of Anthony following the trial.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
-
Many have seen him in person, asked questions, and formed their own impressions.—
Matthew Shelter,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abstractions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstractions. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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