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
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
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Advertisement Do the authorities have an idea of where Boelter might be?—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
16 June 2025
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Fearing their authority is being bypassed, supervisors sometimes retaliate – belittling ideas and withholding resources, for example – which stifles the very innovation that cross-silo collaborations can foster.—
ESMT Berlin,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
Noun
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The Philadelphia location opens in the next few weeks after a successful pop-up of the concept last summer.—
Brendan Coffey,
Sportico.com,
9 June 2025
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The book’s title is, of course, inspired by the goats that supply the milk that powers Beekman 1802’s microbiome-supporting products, and the overall concept of building a great, sustainable business.—
Emily Burns,
Footwear News,
9 June 2025
Noun
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Introducing the film ahead of the screening, Serkis reflected on the project’s turbulent journey from conception to completion.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2025
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Alas, Courtney’s conception of the film’s true dangerous animal is where the story truly runs aground.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
6 June 2025
Noun
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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
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The very notion of shared destiny and collective goals is fading.—
Sturla Henriksen,
Time,
5 June 2025
Noun
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Monday’s announcement of the WBD split included thoughts that TNT Sports could be licensed out to HBO Max, licensed to another entity entirely or even spun off into another separate company.—
John Cassillo,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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There’s plenty of humor also in individual thoughts on their biggest but frothiest hit.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2025
Noun
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That gives the impression, in the stage production, that Clooney’s Murrow is going toe to toe with the real-life McCarthy.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
7 June 2025
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On social media, comments, shares and saves can be more impactful than impressions.—
Andrea Aker,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abstraction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstraction. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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