Abstract

  

Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.

Abstract

Definition: Abstract

Abstract

Adjective

1. Existing only in the mind; separated from embodiment; "abstract words like `truth' and `justice'".

2. Not representing or imitating external reality or the objects of nature; "a large abstract painting".

3. Based on specialized theory; "a theoretical analysis".

4. Dealing with a subject in the abstract without practical purpose or intention; "abstract reasoning"; "abstract science".

Noun

1. A concept or idea not associated with any specific instance; "he loved her only in the abstract--not in person".

2. A sketchy summary of the main points of an argument or theory.

Verb

1. Consider a concept without thinking of a specific example; consider abstractly or theoretically.

2. Make off with belongings of others.

3. Consider apart from a particular case or instance; "Let's abstract away from this particular example".

4. Give an abstract (of).

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "abstract" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1550. (references)

 

Specialty Definition: Abstract art

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Abstract art is now generally understood to mean art that does not depict objects in the natural world, but instead uses shapes and colours in a non-representational or non-objective way. In the early 20th century, the term was more often used to describe art, such as Cubist and Futurist art, that does represent the natural world, but does so by capturing something of its immutable intrinsic qualities rather than by imitating its external appearance. See Abstraction.

Abstract pattern making has an ancient history dating back to the earliest decorations on textiles, pottery and so on. However, the idea that the arrangement of shapes and colours is not simply to be understood as design, but as fine art dates from the nineteenth century when photography began to make the illustrative function of visual art obsolete. Even before the widespread use of photography some artists, such as James McNeill Whistler were placing greater emphasis on visual sensation than the depiction of objects. Whistler argued that art should concern itself with the harmonious arrangement of colours, just as music deals with the harmonious arrangement of sounds. Whistler's painting Nocturne in Black and Gold (1875) is often seen as a major move towards abstraction. Later artists such as Wassily Kandinsky argued that modern science dealt with dynamic forces, revealing that matter was ultimately spiritual in character. Art should display the spiritual forces behind the visual world. Wassily Kandinsky and Kasimir Malevich are generally seen as the first fully abstract artists. Kandinky's art is sometimes called 'soft edged', while Malevich's is 'hard edged'. This distinction is repeated in later abstract artists. The blurred, dynamic lines and colors used by Kandinsky developed into Abstract Expressionism, which the use of overlapping or interacting geometrical forms is found in the work of Piet Mondrian and many later artists such as the op artists of the 1960s.

also see:

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Abstraction

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Abstraction is the thought process wherein ideas are distanced from objects.

Abstraction uses a strategy of simplification of detail, wherein formerly concrete details are left ambiguous, vague, or undefined; thus speaking of things in the abstract demands that the listener have an intuitive or common experience with the speaker, if the speaker expects to be understood.

For example, lots of different things have the property of redness: lots of things are red. And we find the relation sitting-on everywhere: many things sit on other things. The property of redness and the relation sitting-on are therefore abstract.

Problems begin to arise, however, when we try to define specific rules by which we can determine which things are abstract, and which concrete.

Conceptual schemes for abstraction

Instantiation

Something is often considered abstract if it does not exist at any particular place and time but instances, or members, of it can exist in many different places and/or times (we say that what is abstract can be multiply instantiated).

If however we just say that what is abstract is what can be instantiated, and that abstraction is simply the movement in the opposite direction to instantiation, we haven't explained everything. That makes 'dog' and 'telephone' abstract ideas, but even small children can recognise a dog or a telephone despite their varying appearances in particular cases. You could say that these concepts are abstractions but are not found to be very abstract in a conceptual sense. We can look at the progression from dog to mammal to animal, and see that animal is more abstract than mammal; but on the other hand mammal is a harder idea to express, certainly in relation to marsupial.

Physicality

Things are often said to be concrete, that is, not abstract, when they have physical existence or when they occupy space.

Realness

Abstract things are sometimes defined as those things that do not exist in reality or exist only as sensory experience, like red. The problem begins to arise here when we try to decide which things are, in fact, real. Is God real, or abstract? Even if real, could God also be abstract? Is the number 2 real? Is goodness real, or only its effects, or is it just an abstract idea created by humans?

Abstraction used in philosophy

Abstraction in philosophy is the (oft-alleged) process, in concept-formation, of recognizing among a number of individuals some common feature, and on that basis forming the concept of that feature. The notion of abstraction is important to understanding some philosophical controversies surrounding empiricism and the problem of universals.

Ontological status of abstract concepts

If we say that properties and relations are, or have being, clearly we mean they have a different sort of being from that which physical objects, like rocks and trees, have. That accounts for the usefulness of the word abstract. We apply it to properties and relations to mark the fact that if they exist, they do not exist in space or time, but that instances of them can exist in many different places.

On the other hand the apple and an individual human being are said to be concrete, and particulars, and individuals.

Confusingly, philosophers sometimes refer to tropes, or property-instances (e.g., the particular redness of this particular apple), as abstract particulars.

Gottlob Frege abstracts abstraction

To be filled with a paragraph or two describing Frege's definition of abstraction.

Reification

Reification, also called hypostatization, is usually considered a logical fallacy wherein an abstract concept, such as "society" or "technology" is treated as if it were a concrete thing. It is important to note that reification necessarily occurs linguistically in the English language and many other languages wherein abstract objects are referred to using the same sorts of nouns that signify concrete objects. This can further confuse us about which things are abstract and which concrete, as our language tends to influence us toward reification.

The neurology of abstraction

Some research into the human brain suggests that the left and right hemispheres differ in their handling of abstraction. One side handles collections of examples (eg: examples of a tree) whereas the other handles the concept itself.

Related articles

Abstract art, abstraction (computer science), abstract structure, Gottlob Frege, ontology

External Links

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Abbreviations & Acronyms: Abstract

The following table is compiled from various sources, across various languages. When English abbreviations or acronyms come from a non-English source, this is noted.
EntrySourceExpressionField
abs.EnglishAbstractLanguage, Publishing & Graphic Arts

Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

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Synonyms: Abstract

Synonyms: abstractionist (adj), nonfigurative (adj), nonobjective (adj), theoretical (adj), abstraction (n), adumbration (n), outline (n), precis (n), synopsis (n), cabbage (v), filch (v), hook (v), lift (v), nobble (v), pilfer (v), pinch (v), purloin (v), snarf (v), sneak (v), swipe (v). (additional references)
Antonym: concrete (adj). (additional references)

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Synonyms within Context: Abstract

ContextSynonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus).

Attention

Active application, diligent application, exclusive application, minute application, close application, intense application, deep application, profound application, abstract application, labored application, deliberate application, active attention, diligent attention, exclusive attention, minute attention, close attention, intense attention, deep attention, profound attention, abstract attention, labored attention, deliberate attention, active thought, diligent thought, exclusive thought, minute thought, close thought, intense thought, deep thought, profound thought, abstract thought, labored thought, deliberate thought, active study, diligent study, exclusive study, minute study, close study, intense study, deep study, profound study, abstract study, labored study, deliberate study.

Compendium

Verb: abridge, abstract, epitomize, summarize; make an abstract, prepare an abstract, draw an abstract, compile an abstract; n.

Noun: compend, compendium; abstract, precis, epitome, multum in parvo, analysis, pandect, digest, sum and substance, brief, abridgment, summary, apercu, draft, minute, note; excerpt; synopsis, textbook, conspectus, outlines, syllabus, contents, heads, prospectus.

Conciseness

Verb: be concise; Adjective: condense; abridge; abstract; come to the point.

Disjunction

Adverb: separately; Adjective: one by one, severally, apart; adrift, asunder, in twain; in the abstract, abstractedly.

Adjective: disjoined; Verb: discontinuous; abstract; disjunctive; secant; isolated; Verb: insular, separate, disparate, discrete, apart, asunder, far between, loose, free; unattached, unannexed, unassociated, unconnected; distinct; adrift; straggling; rift, reft.

Idea

Noun: idea, notion, conception, thought, apprehension, impression, perception, image, gr/eidolon/gr, sentiment, reflection, observation, consideration; abstract idea; archetype, formative notion; guiding conception, organizing conception; image in the mind, regulative principle.

Inattention

Abstract oneself, dream, indulge in reverie.

Irrelation

Adverb: parenthetically; Adjective: by the way, by the by; en passant, incidentally; irrespectively; Adjective: without reference to, without regard to; in the abstract; a se.

Stealing

Verb: steal, thieve, rob, mug, purloin, pilfer, filch, prig, bag, nim, crib, cabbage, palm; abstract; appropriate, plagiarize.

Taking

Take away, carry away, bear away, take off, carry off, bear off; adeem; abstract; hurry off with, run away with; abduct; steal; ravish; seize; pounce upon, spring upon; swoop to, swoop down upon; take by storm, take by assault; snatch, reave.

Thought

Abstract thought, abstraction contemplation, musing; brown study; (inattention); reverie, Platonism; depth of thought, workings of the mind, thoughts, inmost thoughts; self-counsel self-communing, self-consultation; philosophy of the Absolute, philosophy of the Academy, philosophy of the Garden, philosophy of the lyceum, philosophy of the Porch.

Unity

Adverb: singly; Adjective: alone, by itself, per se, only, apart, in the singular number, in the abstract; one by one, one at a time; simply; one and a half, sesqui-.

Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus.

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Crosswords: Abstract

English words defined with "abstract": abstract art, abstract artist, Abstract terms, Abstract unit. (references)
Specialty definitions using "abstract": abstract class, abstract data type, abstract interpretation, abstract machine, Abstract Machine Notation, abstract manager, abstract money, abstract page, abstract syntax, abstract syntax tree, abstract test suite, Abstract Window Toolkit, Abstract Windowing Toolkit, alerting abstractCategorical Abstract Machine Languagedescriptive abstractencoded abstractindex-term abstract, indicative abstractpositioned abstractskeleton abstract, slanted abstract, structural abstracttelegraphic abstract, telegraphic style abstract. (references)
Etymologies containing "abstract": Abstraction. (references)
Non-English Usage: "Abstract" is also a word in the following languages with English translations in parentheses.

Dutch (abstract), Romanian (abstract, abstractive, abstractly, abstruse, discrete, fine-spun, lunar, notionally, pure, remote).

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Modern Usage: Abstract

DomainUsage

Screenplays

Well Pete, I figured it should be the one with the capacity for abstract thought (O Brother, Where Art Thou?; writing credit: Ethan Coen)

Time is an abstract concept created by carbon-based life-forms to monitor their ongoing decay (The Brak Show; writing credit: Jim Fortier; Andy Merrill)

My mother's an abstract artist (Without You I'm Nothing; writing credit: Sandra Bernhard; John Boskovich)

Abstract expressionism is so mid-to-late eighties (Spaced; writing credit: Simon Pegg; Jessica Stevenson)

Judgment of any system, or a priori relationship or phenomenon exists in an irrational, or metaphysical, or at least epistemological contradiction to an abstract empirical concept such as being, or to be, or to occur in the thing itself, or of the thing itself (Love and Death; writing credit: Woody Allen)

Movie/TV Titles

Abstract Cinema (1993)

Joan Mitchell: Portrait of an Abstract Painter (1992)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Commercial Usage: Abstract

DomainTitle

Books

  • Abstract Algebra (Dover Books on Mathematics) (reference)

  • Abstract Algebra, 2nd Edition (reference)

  • Abstract Art (World of Art) (reference)

  • Abstract Expressionism (World of Art) (reference)

  • Color Your Own Abstract Art Masterpieces (reference)

    (more book examples)

  

Periodicals

  

Music

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Image Slideshow: Abstract

Photos:
Abstract

More pictures...

Illustrations:
Abstract

More pictures...

Computer Images:
Abstract

More pictures...

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Photo Album: Abstract

ThumbnailDescription & CreditThumbnailDescription & Credit

Viewed from the sky, an array of catfish ponds in Louisiana resembles an abstract painting. The color differences between ponds can be correlated to the number and type of algae present within the ponds. P. Credit: USDA ARS News; photo by Scott Bauer..

This abstract wood carving near the beach at St. Ives, Cornwall, England, is a creation of famous British sculptress Barbara Hepworth (...) transported (...) for the filming of National Educational Television's "The Creative Person". Credit: Library of Congress.

Miss I. Rice Pereira, well-known abstract painter, stands alongside one of her works, "Seven Red Squares," on display at the Durlacher Brothers Gallery in New York. Credit: Library of Congress.

Maria Vieria standing on a ladder overlooking her abstract sculpture made of gilded aluminum laminae at the Swiss National Exposition in Lausanne, Switzerland. Credit: Library of Congress.

Portrait of Ernesto "Che" Guevara superimposed against abstract designs. Credit: Library of Congress.

Abstract pattern of apparent curves formed from straight lines. Credit: Library of Congress.

Abstract design incorporating crescent moon, violin outline, and batlike flying creature. Credit: Library of Congress.

  

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

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Digital Photo Gallery: Abstract
 

"Abstract Plastic 2" by Steven Lester
Commentary: "Closeup shots of a inflatable beach lounger."
"Abstract architecture" by Belen Cosmea
Commentary: "Abstract architecture."

Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers.

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Familiar Quotations: Abstract

AuthorQuotation

Alexander Herzen

We have wasted our spirit in the regions of the abstract and general just as the monks let it wither in the world of prayer and contemplation.

Auguste Comte

Each department of knowledge passes through three stages. The theoretic stage; the theological stage and the metaphysical or abstract stage.

Denis Diderot

All abstract sciences are nothing but the study of relations between signs.

Friedrich Nietzsche

The more abstract the truth you want to teach, the more thoroughly you must seduce the senses to accept it.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Delight at having understood a very abstract and obscure system leads most people to believe in the truth of what it demonstrates.

George Eliot

Our impartiality is kept for abstract merit and demerit, which none of us ever saw.

John Keats

Praise or blame has but a momentary effect on the man whose love of beauty in the abstract makes him a severe critic on his own works.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Use in Literature: Abstract

TitleAuthorQuote

Walden

Thoreau, Henry David

The former was a sort of cyclopaedia to him, which he supposed to contain an abstract of human knowledge, as indeed it does to a considerable extent

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Non-Fiction Usage: Abstract

SubjectTopicQuote

Health

Abstract volumes are available for purchase. (references)

Each PubMed abstract has a "Books" button that displays a facsimile of the abstract in which some phrases are hypertext links. (references)

For instance, the ability to form words seems to lie primarily in the left hemisphere, while the right hemisphere seems to control many abstract reasoning skills. (references)

Economic History

Peru

During the 1960s, Fernando de Szyszlo, an internationally recognized Peruvian artist, became the main advocate for abstract painting and pushed Peruvian art toward modernism. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

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Speeches: Abstract

SpeakerTermPhrase(s)

Lyndon B. Johnson

1963-1969This European policy is not based on any abstract design.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Usage Frequency: Abstract

"Abstract" is generally used as an adjective (general or positive) -- approximately 75.22% of the time. "Abstract" is used about 1,963 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted)
Parts of SpeechPercentUsage per
100 Million Words
Rank in English
Adjective (general or positive)75.22%1,4765,497
Lexical Verb (base form)18.93%37214,618
Lexical Verb (infinitive)3.46%6840,606
Noun (singular)2.39%4749,740
                    Total100.00%1,963N/A

Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.

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Expressions: Abstract

Expressions using "abstract": ability to think in abstract terms abstract abstractionist nonfigurative nonobjective abstract application abstract art abstract artist abstract attention abstract class abstract data type abstract expressionism Abstract idea abstract index abstract interpretation abstract machine abstract Machine Notation abstract mathematics abstract model abstract money abstract noun Abstract number Abstract numbers abstract object abstract of account abstract of the register of land charges Abstract of title abstract oneself abstract page abstract painting abstract port abstract science abstract study abstract symbol abstract syntax abstract syntax notation abstract Syntax Notation 1 abstract syntax tree abstract terms abstract test suite abstract thinking abstract thought Abstract unit abstract Window Toolkit abstract Windowing Toolkit alerting abstract An abstract idea automatic abstract being abstract categorical Abstract Machine Language compile an abstract daily abstract descriptive abstract encoded abstract in the abstract indicative abstract informative abstract ( 2 ) machine abstract not abstract positioned abstract skeleton abstract slanted abstract structural abstract telegraphic abstract telegraphic style abstract. Additional references.

Hyphenated Usage

Beginning with "abstract": abstract-figurative, abstract-sounding, Abstract-Type and Scheme-Definition Language.

Ending with "abstract": semi-abstract.

Containing "abstract": looks-like-abstract-art.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Frequency of Internet Keywords: Abstract

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.
 
ExpressionFrequency
per Day
ExpressionFrequency
per Day

abstract art

1,848

abstract chemical service

33

abstract

1,109

abstract design

32

abstract painting

823

abstract art picture

30

abstract artist

579

driver abstract

27

abstract wallpaper

155

abstract art gallery

24

abstract expressionism

139

abstract font

23

dissertation abstract

78

abstract drawing

22

abstract chemical

74

abstract tattoo

22

statistical abstract of the united state

66

abstract print

20

dissertation abstract international

62

abstract noun

19

abstract lighting

60

3d abstract wallpaper

19

write an abstract

49

abstract anime

19

abstract photography

47

abstract image

19

abstract background

46

abstract oil painting

18

abstract picture

46

abstract example

17

writing abstract

45

abstract britney spears

17

abstract algebra

42

abstract photo

16

abstract sculpture

38

abstract statistical us

16

statistical abstract

38

abstract free wallpaper

16

abstract of title

37

abstract psychological

16
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Modern Translation: Abstract

Language Translations for "abstract"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.

Afrikaans

  

oorsig (abridgement, abridgment, resumé, resumй, summery). (various references)

   

Albanian

  

abstrakt. (various references)

   

Arabic 

  

‏فكرة تجريدية (abstraction), ‏ملخص (abridgement, compendium, digested, outline, summarized, summary, summed up), ‏مجرد (absolute, bare, just, mere, merely, naked), ‏نظري (academic, notional, paper, perspective, theoretic, theoretical), ‏لخص (abridge, brief, condense, digest, epitomize, recap, recapitulate, sum, summarize), ‏غير تطبيقي, ‏تجريدي (metaphysical), ‏عويص (abstruse, deep, difficult, opaque, profound, recondite, stiff, strenuous), ‏خلاصة (docket, epitome, essence, extract, extraction, gist, outline, pith, precis, quintessence, recap, recapitulation, resume, substance, summary, summation), ‏أزال (assuage, ax, axe, bulldoze, clear, clear away, declassify, dismantle, dispel, eliminate, enucleate, eviscerate, excise, obliterate, preclude, put aside, relieve, remove, rest, retrench, rid, rub, rub out, settle, slip, smooth, stave off, suppress, take away), ‏أثر فني تجريدي. (various references)

   

Bulgarian 

  

реферат, резюме (abridgement, analysis, argument, capsule, conspectus, digest, epitome, memorandum, precis, recap, recapitulation, round up, run down, summary, synopsis), теоретичен (doctrinaire, moot, parlor, parlour, platonic, pure, theoretic, theoretical), конспект (conspectus, epitome, examination paper, interrogatory, precis, questionary, questionnaire, summary), въображаем (fancy, fictional, ideal, imaginary, mythical, mythological, notional, phantom, unreal, visional, visionary), отвлечено понятие, отвлечен (abstracted, abstractive, discrete, kidnaped, metaphysical, noetic, notional, profound, raped, recondite), отвличам (abduct, call off, carry off, distract, divert, hijack, kidnap, reave, snatch away, steal away, take away, turn off), отделям (cull, detach, discharge, disestablish, disjoin, dissever, disunite, educe, eject, eliminate, emit, estrange, evolve, excrete, exhale, extricate, exude, insulate, isolate, lay aside, part, prescind, pry, screen, seclude, secrete, segregate, separate, sequester, set apart, set off, sever, sort, spare, tear away, unfix, unjoin, unyoke), абстрахирам, абстракция (abstraction), абстрактен (abstractive, academic, academical, discrete, noetic, transcendental), присвоявам (appropriate, convert), изваждам (bring on, bring out, deduct, draw, draw out, drive out, eject, excerpt, extract, fetch, fish out, gouge, knock out, lay out, move out, oust, pick, pick up, pull, put out, subduct, subtract, take away, take from, take out, turn up, uncase, unpin, unship, whip out), извлечение (excerpt, precis). (various references)

   

Chinese 

  

摘要 (BRIEF, briefs, synoptic). (various references)

   

Czech

  

abstraktní (conceptual), resumé (resume, sketch, summary), konspekt (conspectus, digest, precis), excerpovat (excerpt). (various references)

   

Danish

  

tage bort (take away), slutte (deduce, gather, induce, infer). (various references)

   

Dutch

  

abstract (summary, tracker), uittreksel (abridgement, resumé, summery), samenvatting (abridgement, resumé, summery), excerpt (abridgement, resumé, summary, summery), afgetrokken (absent-minded, abstracted, distracted). (various references)

   

Esperanto

  

alproprigi al si, abstrakti, abstrakta, teoria, resumo (abridgement, resum@, summery), resumi (summarize), konkludi (gather, induce, infer), forpreni (take away), deteni (restrain), dedukti (deduce, gather). (various references)

   

Faeroese

  

stjala (steal), koma til niðurløgu (gather, induce, infer). (various references)

   

Farsi 

  

صریح (Clear, Definite, Explicit, Express, Frank, Open, Perspicuous, Precise, Punctual, Straight, Unequivocal), بی مسمی , ربودن (Abduct, Bag, Betake, Get, Grab, Hook, Purloin, Ravish, Reave, Rob, Snatch, Steal, Usurp), انتزاعی , جداکردن (Abrupt, Amputate, Analyze, Calve, Chop, Cleave, Cutoff, Detach, Disconnect, Dissociate, Disunite, Divide, Drawoff, Insulate, Intercept, Part, Partition, Rive, Rupture, Select, Separate, Sequester, Sever, Try, Uncouple, Unlink, Untwist, Unzip), جوهرگرفتن از, خشک (Arid, Husky, Jejune, Mealy, Sec, Thirsty), خلاصه (Compendium, Condensation, Digest, Epitome, Extract, Outline, Resume, Scantling, Schema, Short, Sketch, Sum, Summary, Summation, Synopsis, Upshot), خلاصه ء کتاب , بردن (Bear, Carry, Conduct, Convey, Drive, Horse, Lead, Pack, Port, Portage, Propel, Remove, Snatch, Steer, Take, Transport, Win), خیالی (Bizarre, Brainchild, Dreamy, Image, Imaginary, Phantom, Poetic, Romantic, Unreal, Unrealistic, Visionary), معنی (Connotation, Definition, Drift, Effect, Idea, Implication, Innuendo, Intent, Moral, Purporst, Sense, Significance), زبده (Compendium, Cream, Elite, Extract), تجزیه کردن (Analyze, Breakdown, Comminute, Decompose, Dismember, Liberate), غیرعملی (Impracticable, Impractical, Inoperative), کش رفتن (Cabbage, Nip, Palm, Pilfer, Prig, Snip, Snitch, Swipe), مجرد (Absolute, Bachelor, Discrete, Immaterial, Lone, Single, Solitary), مجمل (Compendious, Inconclusive, Succinct, Synopsis), مطلق (Absolute, Arbitrary, Autocratic, Downright, Free, Implicit, Positive, Sheer, Slick, Stark, Total, Unconditional, Unrestrained, Utter), معنوی (Immaterial, Incorporate, Moral, Spiritual, Virtual), خلاصه کردن (Abbreviate, Condense, Cutdown, Epitomize, Summarize). (various references)

   

Finnish

  

tiivistelmä (summary). (various references)

   

French

  

abstrait, résumé (abridgement), abstraire, abrégé (abridgement). (various references)

   

Frisian

  

gearfetting (abridgement, resumé, summery), gearfetsje (summarize), ôfnimme (take away). (various references)

   

German

  

abstrakt (abstractedly, abstractly), Zusammenfassung (combination, concentration, peroration, precis, resume, subsumption, summarization, summary, summing, summing-up, synopsis, union), zusammenfassen (bracket, bunch together, collect, combine, concentrate, condense, encapsulate, lump, recapitulate, resume, sum, sum up, summarize, to collect, to recapitulate, to summarize, unite), begrifflich (conceptual, notional), abstrahieren (abstracting, abstraction, to abstract). (various references)

   

Greek 

  

περίληψη (abridgement, brief, comprisal, digest, docket, inclusion, precis, prospectus, resume, subsumption, summary, syllabus, synopsis), αφαιρώ (ablate, deduct, defrost, delete, detract, dismount, dispossess, divest, eliminate, remove, remove from, strip, subduct, subtract, take away, write off). (various references)

   

Hawaiian

  

abstrakt. (various references)

   

Hebrew 

  

מופשט (intangible, metaphysical, vague), לתמצת (abbreviate, condense, epitomize, summarize), להוציא (draw out, eliminate, issue, rout out, take out, tap), להסיר (annul, eliminate, put aside, remove, rid, shed, shuffle off, strip, take away, take out), תמצית (decoction, digest, epitome, essence, gist, heart, marrow, outline, pith, quintessence, sap, summary, syllabus, synopsis), תקציר (brief, gist, resume, summary, synopsis), ערטילאי (naked, nude), אבסטרקטי. (various references)

   

Hungarian

  

elvont (abstraction, academic, esoterical), összefoglalás (contraction, peroration, résumé, recapitulation, sum, summary, summing up, syllabi, syllabus, synthesis). (various references)

   

Icelandic

  

stela (steal), óhlutstæður. (various references)

   

Indonesian

  

abstrak, niskala (immaterial), mujarab (efficacious), meringkaskan (summarize), intisari (digest, essence, gist). (various references)

   

Italian

  

astratto (abstracted, abstractedly, abstractive, abstractly, discrete), sommario (abridgement, brief, digest, resumé, resume, rough, summary, summation, summery, syllabus), ritirare (collect, draw, draw back, evacuate, pick up, recede, retire, retract, seclude, shrink, subside, take, take away, throw again, to withdraw, withdraw), riassunto (abbreviation, abridgement, brief, digest, precis, summary), estrarre (draw, educe, extract, mine, pull out, yank), dedurre (conclude, deduce, deduct, elicit, gather, induce, infer), concludere (break up, clinch, close, complete, conclude, deduce, do, end up, finalize, finish, gather, induce, infer, make, make a contract, put through, tie up, top off, wrap up), compendio (abridgement, abridgment, compendium, digest, epitome, excerpt, extract, outline, summary, syllabus). (various references)

   

Japanese Kanji 

  

抽象, 抽出 (educe, sample). (various references)

   

Japanese Katakana 

  

むけい (immaterial, intangible, moral, nonsense, spiritual, unfounded, unsupported), アブストラクト , ちゅうしゅつ (educe, sample), ちゅうしょうてき, ちゅうしょう (defamation, libel, slander, small to medium). (various references)

   

Korean 

  

요약 (Abbreviation, resume). (various references)

   

Malay

  

mencuri (steal), curi (steal). (various references)

   

Manx

  

scartagh (alienable, astride, disjunctive, divergent), neuloaghtagh (impalpable, insensible, intangible), giare-chummey (abridgement, compendium), do-hoiggal (enigmatic, incomprehensible, obscure), bouyranagh (senseless, stupid). (various references)

   

Norwegian

  

stjele (lift, steal). (various references)

   

Papiamen

  

apstrakto, teorétiko (academic, theoretical), roba (plunder, rob, steal), resumí (summarize), resúmen (abridgement, resumé, summery), konklú (gather, induce, infer), kita (take away), hòrta (steal). (various references)

   

Pig Latin

  

abstractay.(various references)

   

Polish

  

zabrać (take away), powstrzymywać (restrain), kraść (steal). (various references)

   

Portuguese

  

sumário (abridgement, brief, briefs, compendium, content, digest, docket, playbill, precis, recess, resume, summery, syllabus, synopsis), resumo (abridgement, abridgment, brief, compendium, condensation, digest, docket, epitome, excerpt, extract, playbill, precis, resume, summery, syllabus, synopsis), resumir (abridge, boil down, brief, compact, compress, condense, digest, epitomize, extract, precis, resume, shorten, sum up, summarize, wind up), deduzir (articulate, collect, deduce, derive, educe, elicit, gather, imply, knock off, poke about, recoup, retrench), abstrato (absent, absent-minded, chill, distrait), abstrair (prescind), abstracto. (various references)

   

Romanian

  

fura (crib, defalcate, embezzle, filch, hook, kidnap, knock off, lift, make away with, nibble, nim, pick pockets, pilfer, pill, pinch, plagiarize, poach, prig, purloin, Raven, reave, snake, steal, thieve). (various references)

   

Russian 

  

экстракт (extract), реферат, резюме (apercu, apercus, epitome, recap, recapitulation, resume, synopsis), красть (crib, lift, pilfer, purloin, rustle, snitch, steal, swipe), вытяжка (extract), отвлеченный (abstractive), отнимать (amputate, deprive, reave, reive, strip, subtract, take away), забрать (board, bring along, screen, take along, take away, wainscot), забирать (board, bring along, screen, take along, take away, wainscot, withdraw, withdrew), абстракция (abstraction), абстрактный (abstractive, noetic, transcendental), извлекать (derive, elicit, extract, extracted, extracting, retrieve, uncompress, withdraw). (various references)

   

Scottish

  

goid (pilfer, pilfering, slip away by stealth, slipping away by stealth, steal, stealing). (various references)

   

Serbo-Croatian

  

apstraktan, apstrahovati, sažeti (abridge, compress, condense, epitomize, summarize), sažetak, rezime (conspectus, resume, summary, summing up), izvući (bring out, come up, derive, draw out, extract, get out, tug, wangle), izdvojiti (extricate, mark off, segregate, single out). (various references)

   

Spanish

  

resumen (abridgement, abridgment, conspectus, precis, recap, recapitulation, resumé, resume, summation, summery, summing up), abstracto (abstracted, abstractedly, abstractedness, abstractly, abstractness), descolgar (get down, let down, pick up, take away, take down, unhang). (various references)

   

Sranan

  

fufuru (abstraction, steal, theft). (various references)

   

Swedish

  

sammandrag (abridgement, abridgment, brief, digest, epitome, precis, summary, synopsis), abstrakt (abstractly, notional, transcendental). (various references)

   

Turkish

  

ayırmak (allocate, allot, allow, appropriate, assort, book, choose, classify, comb, comb out, contradistinguish, cut off, cut out, demarcate, detach, devote, disband, discard, disembody, disjoin, disrupt, dissever, dissociate, distinguish, disunite, divert, divide, divorce, divorce from, earmark, except, hive off, insulate, intend for, isolate, keep apart, mark out, part, particularize, partition, partition off, pick out, portion, reduce, reserve, resolve, seclude, segregate, select, separate, sequester, set apart, set aside, sever, shut off, single out, snatch away from, snatch from, sort, sort out, spare, specialize, split, spread, spread out, sunder, sweep off, take apart, tear away, tear off, unpick, unstick, wall, winnow), aşırmak (bag, cop, crib, filch, help oneself to, hoist, hook, make off with, mooch, pass over, pilfer, prig, purloin, scrounge, snaffle, snitch, steal, walk off with, whip), abstre, araklamak (pilfer, steal), axirmak (steal), nazarí (academic, theoretical), kuramsal (academic, academical, doctrinaire, hypothetic, hypothetical, notional, pure, speculative, theoretic, theoretical), teorik (academic, academical, pure, speculative, technical, theoretic, theoretical), soyut (discrete, intangible, notional, transcendental), çalmak (adopt, bag, beat, beat out, blow, chime, cop, crib, defalcate, filch, finger, grind, grind out, heist, hijack, hoist, hook, hoot, incline, jangle, jingle, knelt, knock, knock off, lift, make off with, mooch, nobble, peal, pilfer, pinch, play, plunder, rap, render, ring, rustle, scrounge, sneak, snitch, sound, steal, strike, swipe, tend, thieve, toll, twang, verge, verge into, verge on, walk away with, walk off with, whip), soyut düşünce, soyutlamak (emancipate, isolate), teorík (academic, theoretical), özetlemek (abridge, boil down, brief, compress, encapsulate, epitomize, incapsulate, outline, precis, reduce, resume, sum up, summarize, totalize, wrap up), özet çıkarmak (sum up, summarize), özet (abridgement, brief, compendium, compress, condensation, conspectus, digest, epitome, extract, gist, outline, precis, resume, roundup, short, sum, summary, summation, synopsis), damıtmak (distil, distill, fractionate). (various references)

   

Turkmen 

  

kospektirlemek (r) (make an abstract of). (various references)

   

Ukrainian

  

відокремлювати (dissever, distinguish, isolate, mark off, seclude, segregate, separate, sever, single), абстрагувати (prescind), абстрактний (abstracted, abstractive, ideal, noetic, non-figurative, nonrepresentational, notional, presentative), абстракція (abstraction), виписка (epitome), витяг (excerpt, excerption), витягувати (crane, draw out, extract, outstretch, pull, put out, snake), важкий для розуміння, підсумовувати (cast, foot, inventory, slip up, sum, summarize, totalize), віднімати (deduct, denude, deprive, subduct, subtract, take away), реферувати, відвертати (alienate, amuse, anticipate, avert, award, head off, preclude, prevent, turn away, ward), відволікати (amuse, distract, divert, put off), конспект (abridgement, abridgment, compendium, conspectus, epitome, outline, precis, recap, recapitulation, scheme, summary, syllabus, workbook), теоретичний (academic, platonic, pure, speculative, theoretic, theoretical), резюме (boildown, breviate, brief, capsule, compendium, digest, epitome, recap, recapitulation, resume, summary, synopsis), резюмувати (brief, epitomize, perorate, recapitulate, resume, sum up, summarize), реферат (precis), відбирати (choose, defraud, denude, deprive, draft, draught, pick over). (various references)

   

Vietnamese 

  

luận án (treatise). (various references)

   

Welsh

  

tynnu (attract, draw, pull, remove, take off), haniaethol, dansoddol, crynodeb (summary). (various references)

   

Yucatec

  

ookol (steal), ooklik (steal). (various references)

   

Zulu

  

-eba (steal). (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

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Ancestral Language Translations: Abstract

LanguagePeriodTranslations
Latin500 BCE-Modern

abalienabantur, abalienabit, abalienarentur, abalienati, abalienavit, abstracta, abstracti, adbreviasti, adbreviata, adbreviatus, adbreviavit, summarium. (various references)

Late Latin300-700

conceptus. (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Derivations & Misspellings: Abstract

Derivations

Words beginning with "abstract": abstractable, abstracted, abstractedly, abstractedness, abstractednesses, abstracter, abstracters, abstractest, abstracting, abstraction, abstractional, abstractionism, abstractionisms, abstractionist, abstractionists, abstractions, abstractive, abstractly, abstractness, abstractnesses, abstractor, abstractors, abstracts. (additional references)

Words ending with "abstract": nonabstract, overabstract, semiabstract. (additional references)

Words containing "abstract": nonabstracts, overabstracted, overabstracting, overabstracts, semiabstraction, semiabstractions. (additional references)


Misspellings

"Abstract" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: absract, abstacrt, abstact, absteact, abstrac, abstractt, abstractual, absttact, apstract, asbstract, Astarac, Astrac, austriaca, bastric. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

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Rhyming with "Abstract"

# of Phoneme MatchesPronunciationWord(s) rhyming with "abstract" (pronounced abstra"kt or a"bstra'kt)
6-s t r a" k tdistract, extract.
5-t r a" k tattract, detract, protract, retract, subtract, tracked, tract.
4-r a" k tcracked, diffract, racked, wracked.
3-a" k tact, attacked, backed, blacked, counterattacked, impact, enact, exact, fact, hacked, inexact, intact, interact, jacked, lacked, overreact, packed, pact, react, redact, reenact, repacked, sacked, slacked, smacked, stacked, tacked, tact, transact, unpacked, whacked.
5-t r a' k tbacktracked, contract, noncontract, sidetracked, subcontract.
3-a' k tartifact, contact, counteract, hijacked, overact, piggybacked, ransacked.

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

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Anagrams: Abstract

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

Words within the letters "a-a-b-c-r-s-t-t"

-2 letters: attars, bracts, carats, rabats, scarab, strata, tatars, tracts.

-3 letters: attar, batts, bract, brats, carat, carbs, carts, crabs, rabat, sabra, sacra, scart, scatt, start, tacts, tarts, tatar, tract.

-4 letters: abas, acta, acts, arbs, arcs, arts, baas, bars, bast, bats, batt, bras, brat, cabs, carb, cars, cart, casa, cast, cats, crab, rats, scab, scar, scat.

 Words containing the letters "a-a-b-c-r-s-t-t"
 

+1 letter: abstracts, cabrettas.

 

+2 letters: abstracted, abstracter, abstractly, abstractor.

 

+3 letters: abstracters, abstractest, abstracting, abstraction, abstractive, abstractors, backscatter, nonabstract.

 

+4 letters: abstractable, abstractedly, abstractions, abstractness, azotobacters, backscatters, bacteriostat, contrastable, distractable, nonabstracts, overabstract, scatterbrain, semiabstract, subantarctic.

 

+5 letters: abstractional, backscattered, bacteriostats, contrabandist, contrabassist, microhabitats, overabstracts, scatterbrains, tractableness.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.

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INDEX

1. Definition
2. Synonyms
3. Crosswords
4. Usage: Modern
5. Usage: Commercial
6. Images: Slideshow
7. Images: Photo Album
8. Images: Digital Art
9. Quotations: Familiar
10. Quotations: Fiction
11. Quotations: Non-fiction
12. Quotations: Speeches
13. Usage Frequency
14. Expressions
15. Expressions: Internet
16. Translations: Modern
17. Translations: Ancient
18. Abbreviations
19. Acronyms
20. Derivations
21. Rhymes
22. Anagrams
23. Bibliography


  

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