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";
   - abstractionist, nonfigurative, nonobjective
    
3. Dealing with a subject in the abstract without practical purpose or intention
   "abstract reasoning"; "abstract science"
    
4. (computing) of a class in object-oriented programming, being a partial basis for subclasses rather than being completely defined and directly usable
   "They created an abstract class to define common properties for all shapes"

1. A concept or idea not associated with any specific instance
   "he loved her only in the abstract — not in person";
   - abstraction
    
2. A sketchy summary of the main points of an argument or theory
   "The researcher prepared an abstract of her findings for the conference";
   - outline, synopsis, précis, rundown

1. Consider a concept without thinking of a specific example; consider abstractly or theoretically
   "The philosopher attempted to abstract the concept of justice"
    
2. Consider apart from a particular case or instance
   "Let's abstract away from this particular example"
    
3. Give an abstract (of)
   "The librarian abstracted the key points from the research paper"; "He abstracted the main ideas from the lengthy report"
    
4. [informal] Take by theft
   "He was going to abstract the phone someone had left behind";
   - hook [informal], snitch [informal], thieve, cop [informal], knock off [informal], glom [N. Amer, informal], boost [N. Amer, informal], pilfer, cabbage [archaic, informal], purloin [informal], pinch [Brit, informal], snarf [N. Amer, informal], swipe [informal], sneak [informal], filch [informal], nobble [Brit, informal], lift [informal], nick [Brit, informal], snatch [informal], whip [Brit, informal], blag [Brit, informal]

Derived forms: abstracted, abstracting, abstracts

See also: abstractness, conceptional, conceptual, ideal, ideational, ideologic, ideological, impalpable, intangible, nonrepresentational, notional, theoretical

Type of: concept, conception, consider, construct, look at, reckon, regard, rip [N. Amer, informal], rip off [informal], run over, see, steal, sum up, summarise [Brit], summarize, summary, sum-up, take, view, wrap-up

Antonym: concrete

Encyclopedia: Abstract