abstract

1. 1.

   existing only in the mind; separated from embodiment

   “abstract words like `truth' and `justice'”

   Antonymsconcrete

   Similarconceptionalconceptualidealideological
2. 2.

   not representing or imitating external reality or the objects of nature

   “a large abstract painting”

   Synonymsabstractionistnonfigurativenonobjective

   Similarnonrepresentational
3. 3.

   dealing with a subject in the abstract without practical purpose or intention

   “abstract reasoning”

   “abstract science”

   Similartheoretical

1. 1.

   a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance

   “he loved her only in the abstract--not in person”

   Synonymsabstraction

   Broaderconcept

   Narrowerrightabsoluteteacherthing
2. 2.

   a sketchy summary of the main points of an argument or theory

   Synonymsoutlinesynopsisprecis

   Broadersummary

   Narrowerbriefapercuepitome

Other forms of abstract

plural

abstracts·

past tense

abstracted·

present participle

abstracting·

Forms marked · are formed by the regular rule rather than recorded in the source data. English keeps a few hundred irregulars and the rest follow the pattern, so the rule is right far more often than not — but it is a rule, and the mark says so.

Questions about abstract

What does abstract mean?

abstract means "consider a concept without thinking of a specific example; consider abstractly or theoretically". That is the primary sense; the word has 9 in total, listed in full on this page.

How many syllables are in abstract?

abstract has 2 syllables: ab-stract. The stress falls on "stract". In IPA it is /æbˈstɹækt/.

What is another word for abstract?

Close synonyms include pilfer, cabbage, purloin, pinch, snarf. Each sense on this page lists its own synonyms, because a word with several meanings rarely has one substitute that works for all of them.

What is the opposite of abstract?

The recorded antonyms are concrete.

Is abstract a common word?

abstract is banded "Familiar" — widely understood, used when the subject calls for it. The band comes from how often the word appears in a large corpus of everyday English, not from an editor's impression.

What rhymes with abstract?

2 words rhyme with abstract. Rhymes are matched on the phonemes from the last stressed vowel onward, which is the definition a reader has in their head.