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
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
Share only what’s necessary for the integration to function, and protect proprietary logic and models behind secure abstraction layers.
—Bihag Karnani, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
These anxieties are not merely historical abstractions or distant lessons drawn from the broader Middle East.
—Sanam Vakil, Time, 26 June 2025
The sun is hardly novel subject matter, but Zea eludes cliché through abstraction.
—Ana Karina Zatarain, New Yorker, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstraction
Benjamin H. D. Buchloh, Artforum, 1 June 2025
Share only what’s necessary for the integration to function, and protect proprietary logic and models behind secure abstraction layers.
—Bihag Karnani, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
These anxieties are not merely historical abstractions or distant lessons drawn from the broader Middle East.
—Sanam Vakil, Time, 26 June 2025
The sun is hardly novel subject matter, but Zea eludes cliché through abstraction.
—Ana Karina Zatarain, New Yorker, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstraction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstraction
Noun
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Notable Music speakers: Wyclef Jean, Wynonna Judd, 2016: President Barack Obama discusses civic engagement, while first lady Michelle Obama's talks about her Let Girls Learn initiative and using music to promote ideas.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
23 July 2025
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What does the heat index chart look like? To get an idea of how air temperatures and humidity levels produce apparent temperatures, here is the NWS' heat index chart.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
23 July 2025
Noun
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The news division is, like its counterparts, experimenting with a bevy of concepts to see which ones strike a chord with the younger viewers who use streaming as their primary means of watching video.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
14 July 2025
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For his new concept revitalizing the former Nash & Proper space, Jimenez is taking inspiration from popular fast food chains such as In-N-Out and Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, which have compact menus with high-quality ingredients.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
14 July 2025
Noun
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Experiences are incredibly expensive to develop, and take years from conception to completion (Disney CEO Bob Iger says that the parks typically take as long as two years to develop, and another five years to build).—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
23 July 2025
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The idea is to incubate original ideas from their conception through to commercialization and provide IP owners with advice on strategy, branding building, content development and making cash.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
21 July 2025
Noun
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The franchise’s purchase by Disney in 2012 likely subconsciously reinforced the notion that Star Wars is popcorn, family entertainment, not the meaty material that wins acting awards.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
23 July 2025
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Cue a slapdash kidnapping and a quest to verify his identity prior to burying him alive, which brings together a rag-tag gang—a bookshop owner, a photographer, her ex, and a bride-to-be—all of whom suffered at the same man’s hands and have their own notions of justice.—
Taylor Antrim,
Vogue,
21 July 2025
Noun
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Gregg's spirit and passion will be deeply missed, and our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time.—
Natasha Dye,
People.com,
28 July 2025
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Unfortunately, most hiring managers take a backward-thinking approach and charge ahead with little thought.—
Roberta Matuson,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
Noun
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Older people often bring up how the U.S. helped Kosovo, and that left a strong impression.—
Kathleen Peddicord,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
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Twenty-seven years ago, Armageddon benefited from a marketing campaign that left a lasting impression.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abstraction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstraction. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
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