abstraction
noun
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From its roots, abstraction should mean basically "something pulled or drawn away". So abstract art is art that has moved away from painting objects of the ordinary physical world in order to show something beyond it. Theories are often abstractions; so a theory about economics, for instance, may "pull back" to take a broad view that somehow explains all of economics (but maybe doesn't end up explaining any of it very successfully). An abstract of a medical or scientific article is a one-paragraph summary of its contents—that is, the basic findings "pulled out" of the article.
Examples of abstraction in a Sentence
David Zweig, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025
Economic impacts These moves are not just an abstraction of financial markets but can have real economic impact.
—Jesse Pound, CNBC, 12 Apr. 2025
Get clear on what behaviors will move that wisdom out of abstraction and into action.
—Colin Bedell, Them., 11 Apr. 2025
Daube’s abstract art highlights the power of abstraction in large format utilizing powdered pigments, gold leaf foil and numerous paint mediums.
—Dawn Giangiulio, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstraction
Cite this Entry
“Abstraction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abstraction. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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abstraction
noun
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