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 graphical user interface, which Apple popularized, adapted that file-and-folder paradigm into an abstraction of a desktop, where users would click and move those files around.
—
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 14 July 2025
Leverage Progressive Abstraction Progressive abstraction lets internal platforms scale with developer maturity.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
But that was an abstraction that wouldn’t work in live action.
—Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 7 June 2025
After all, abstraction had been in the service of spiritual liberation and social emancipation since its inception, and had always appeared in opposition to the totally reified world of Duchamp’s readymade.
—Benjamin H. D. Buchloh, Artforum, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstraction
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 14 July 2025
Leverage Progressive Abstraction Progressive abstraction lets internal platforms scale with developer maturity.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
But that was an abstraction that wouldn’t work in live action.
—Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 7 June 2025
After all, abstraction had been in the service of spiritual liberation and social emancipation since its inception, and had always appeared in opposition to the totally reified world of Duchamp’s readymade.
—Benjamin H. D. Buchloh, Artforum, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstraction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstraction
Noun
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In those decades, Americans were fighting over some big ideas.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
15 Aug. 2025
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Wellness festivals not going well Jewel had come up with an idea for a wellness festival alongside Trevor Drinkwater, CEO of Inclusion Companies.—
Ramishah Maruf,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The concept still works: Body-swap stories have been told for generations, and for good reason.—
Katie Grant,
Parents,
7 Aug. 2025
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Pizza as a concept is a safe space to experiment and introduce new flavors because the formula of crust-sauce-toppings-cheese is already familiar to most of us, Schroeder explains.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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How little there is in us of justice and humility, how poor is our conception of patriotism….—
Philip Metres
July 30,
Literary Hub,
30 July 2025
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This conception of the sea as sterile is, of course, paradoxical, since the oceans supply about 2% of overall human calorie intake and 15% of protein intake – and could likely supply much more.—
Marie-Claire Beaulieu,
The Conversation,
28 July 2025
Noun
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Anybody walking the convention floor will immediately be dispelled of the notion that events like GalaxyCon are only for teenaged boys and middle-aged men nostalgic for their own youth.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
16 Aug. 2025
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Newhouse refuted the notion that people were going to lose access to health care.—
Saige Miller,
NPR,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the victims’ families and colleagues.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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As summer winds down and whispers of fall and the coming year begin to swirl, our thoughts naturally turn to what 2026 might bring.—
Halee Miller Van Ryswyk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Those early weeks create lasting impressions that professors and classmates will carry throughout your time on campus.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Timmer, who has become a vocal critic of the Republican Party under Trump, said the episode left a lasting negative impression of Hall on him.—
Clara Hendrickson,
Freep.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abstraction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstraction. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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