Definitions for abstract
æbˈstrækt, ˈæb strækt; ˈæb strækt; æbˈstrækt for 11-14 , ˈæb strækt for 15ab·stract

Princeton's WordNet(4.00 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. abstraction, abstract(noun)

   a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance

   "he loved her only in the abstract--not in person"

2. outline, synopsis, abstract, precis(adj)

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

3. abstract(adj)

   existing only in the mind; separated from embodiment

   "abstract words like `truth' and `justice'"

4. abstract, abstractionist, nonfigurative, nonobjective(adj)

   not representing or imitating external reality or the objects of nature

   "a large abstract painting"

5. abstract(verb)

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

   "abstract reasoning"; "abstract science"

6. abstract(verb)

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

7. pilfer, cabbage, purloin, pinch, abstract, snarf, swipe, hook, sneak, filch, nobble, lift(verb)

   make off with belongings of others

8. abstract(verb)

   consider apart from a particular case or instance

   "Let's abstract away from this particular example"

9. abstract(verb)

   give an abstract (of)

Webster Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Abstract(adj)

   withdraw; separate

   Etymology: [See Abstract, a.]

2. Abstract(adj)

   considered apart from any application to a particular object; separated from matter; existing in the mind only; as, abstract truth, abstract numbers. Hence: ideal; abstruse; difficult

   Etymology: [See Abstract, a.]

3. Abstract(adj)

   expressing a particular property of an object viewed apart from the other properties which constitute it; -- opposed to concrete; as, honesty is an abstract word

   Etymology: [See Abstract, a.]

4. Abstract(adj)

   resulting from the mental faculty of abstraction; general as opposed to particular; as, "reptile" is an abstract or general name

   Etymology: [See Abstract, a.]

5. Abstract(adj)

   abstracted; absent in mind

   Etymology: [See Abstract, a.]

6. Abstract(adj)

   to withdraw; to separate; to take away

   Etymology: [See Abstract, a.]

7. Abstract(adj)

   to draw off in respect to interest or attention; as, his was wholly abstracted by other objects

   Etymology: [See Abstract, a.]

8. Abstract(adj)

   to separate, as ideas, by the operation of the mind; to consider by itself; to contemplate separately, as a quality or attribute

   Etymology: [See Abstract, a.]

9. Abstract(adj)

   to epitomize; to abridge

   Etymology: [See Abstract, a.]

10. Abstract(adj)

    to take secretly or dishonestly; to purloin; as, to abstract goods from a parcel, or money from a till

    Etymology: [See Abstract, a.]

11. Abstract(adj)

    to separate, as the more volatile or soluble parts of a substance, by distillation or other chemical processes. In this sense extract is now more generally used

    Etymology: [See Abstract, a.]

12. Abstract(verb)

    to perform the process of abstraction

    Etymology: [See Abstract, a.]

13. Abstract(adj)

    that which comprises or concentrates in itself the essential qualities of a larger thing or of several things. Specifically: A summary or an epitome, as of a treatise or book, or of a statement; a brief

    Etymology: [See Abstract, a.]

14. Abstract(adj)

    a state of separation from other things; as, to consider a subject in the abstract, or apart from other associated things

    Etymology: [See Abstract, a.]

15. Abstract(adj)

    an abstract term

    Etymology: [See Abstract, a.]

16. Abstract(adj)

    a powdered solid extract of a vegetable substance mixed with sugar of milk in such proportion that one part of the abstract represents two parts of the original substance

    Etymology: [See Abstract, a.]

Freebase(3.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Abstract

   An abstract is a brief summary of a research article, thesis, review, conference proceeding or any in-depth analysis of a particular subject or discipline, and is often used to help the reader quickly ascertain the paper's purpose. When used, an abstract always appears at the beginning of a manuscript or typescript, acting as the point-of-entry for any given academic paper or patent application. Abstracting and indexing services for various academic disciplines are aimed at compiling a body of literature for that particular subject. The terms précis or synopsis are used in some publications to refer to the same thing that other publications might call an "abstract". In management reports, an executive summary usually contains more information than the abstract does.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Abstract

   abs-trakt′, v.t. to draw away: to separate: to purloin.—adj. Abstract′ed, drawn off (with from): removed: absent in mind.—adv. Abstract′edly.—ns. Abstract′edness; Abstrac′tion, act of abstracting: state of being abstracted: absence of mind: the operation of the mind by which certain qualities or attributes of an object are considered apart from the rest: a purloining.—adj. Abstract′ive, having the power of abstracting.—n. anything abstractive: an abstract.—adv. Abs′tractly.—n. Abs′tractness. [L. abs, away from, trahĕre, tractum, to draw. See Trace.]

2. Abstract

   abs′trakt, adj. general, as opposed to particular or individual (the opposite of abstract is concrete—a red colour is an abstract notion, a red rose is a concrete notion; an abstract noun is the name of a quality apart from the thing, as redness).—n. summary: abridgment: essence. [L. abstractus, as if a quality common to a number of things were drawn away from the things and considered by itself.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. abstract

   A brief register of the warrant officer's stores, by which the supplies, expenses, and remains are duly balanced. An abstract log contains the most important subjects of a ship's log.

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'abstract' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #4596

2. Adjectives Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'abstract' in Adjectives Frequency: #624

How to pronounce abstract?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say abstract in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of abstract in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of abstract in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of abstract in a Sentence

1. Harriet Beecher Stowe:

   Everyone confesses in the abstract that exertion which brings out all the powers of body and mind is the best thing for us all; but practically most people do all they can to get rid of it, and as a general rule nobody does much more than circumstances drive them to do.

2. Oscar Tabarez:

   The holy grail of football is the word 'balance', when we attack, we need to be able to attack, but this isn't abstract — it is because ball possession has been recovered or from good defensive work. We work on balance all the time.

3. Joseph Gonzales:

   Museums of causes or museums of ideas can be particularly challenging, they're ideological or they're about abstract concepts, and they're not collection-based.

4. David Pilgrim:

   Go to any city in the United States and you will find people living in dump-like environments. These are real people, not an abstract, intellectual category. They are people with hopes and fears. And, quite frankly, many of them are not interested in discussions about economic determinism. They are interested in having a home, obtaining a job that does not pay starvation wages, getting their children educated, affording health care, enjoying some of the social goodies. Helping a poor family will not change societal patterns of inequality, but it will change the pattern of that family's life. And, when we get done helping that family we can pick up a book, voting ballot, or protest sign.

5. Maya Hoole:

   However, the reconstruction of Ava brings a sense of humanity to a story which can often appear as an abstract mass of bones, genes and artefacts. what I think is especially important about our research and our findings is that it demonstrates how much we can learn from existing archaeological material that we already have in our archives and our museums.

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