ABSTRACT Synonyms: 191 Similar and Opposite Words

abstract 1 of 3

adjective

ab-ˈstrakt

as in theoretic

dealing with or expressing a quality or idea the book deals with abstract matters such as honesty and integrity on the job as well as practical subjects such as asking for a raise

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Relevance

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as in impressionistic

using elements of form (as color, line, or texture) with little or no attempt at creating a realistic picture Cubism is a style of abstract art in which natural forms are broken up into geometric shapes

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abstract

2 of 3

noun

ˈab-ˌstrakt

as in summary

a short statement of the main points the scientist wrote a bare-bones abstract of his research and conclusions

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as in manifestation

a visible representation of something abstract (as a quality) a recent college valedictorian who's been hailed as the very abstract of what's right with today's young people

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abstract

3 of 3

verb

ab-ˈstrakt

as in to distract

to draw the attention or mind to something else personal problems abstracted him so persistently that he struggled to keep his mind on his work

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as in to summarize

to make into a short statement of the main points (as of a report) took the 135-page report and abstracted it in three short paragraphs

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of abstract

Adjective

Wearing a look from the Dutch duo’s spring 2024 collection, Rinna’s abstract ensemble consisted of a voluminous polka-dot blouse, an emerald green peplum skirt and a neon leopard print belt. —

Hannah Malach, WWD, 30 Jan. 2025 China’s Raymond Zhang won the Young Travel Photographer of the Year award for his evocative photos of workers and trains at a Chinese coal mine, while 12-year-old Leonardo Murray won the under 14 category for capturing the abstract shapes of dunes in the Namib Desert. —

Issy Ronald, CNN, 29 Jan. 2025

Noun

The artwork ranges from the abstract to representational to expressionistic in nature. —

Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2024 Paintings in the listing — a 1965 Picasso, a 1960 Serge Poliakoff, and an abstract by Antoni Tàpies — suggest the owner is a collector. —

Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 19 Aug. 2024

Verb

Firefly’s influence in the industry is only growing, solidifying its reputation as a leader in abstracting infrastructure complexity and delivering transformative cloud asset management solutions. —

Kody Boye, USA TODAY, 16 Oct. 2024 While there may be dozens in each major market, this complexity will be abstracted away for users. —

Christian Catalini, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for abstract

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstract

Adjective

His work is instantly recognizable, with vibrant, impressionistic swirls of purple, orange, green and red.

— John Wenzel, The Denver Post, 13 Jan. 2025
One of the things that really surprised me in getting away from that photorealism that we were locked into for such a long time, and getting into this painterly, more impressionistic look that extended from the backgrounds to the characters themselves, was the overall effect was more believable.

— Ryan Fleming, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2025