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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of abstraction
Every pane is an abstraction of the traditional Fresnel lenses used in lighthouses all over Nova Scotia.
—
Jeanine Barone, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
Essay Love Means Leaving the World Out of It
Michelle Dean
In both her poetry and her relationship with Robert Browning, Elizabeth Barrett understood love as an abstraction beyond everyday matters.
—Max Ufberg, hazlitt.net, 4 Jan. 2025
Its rigid thematic frame—an arid realm of thinly evoked abstractions—carries over into its composition.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2025
Finally, two weeks before his forty-fourth birthday, Fish and Wildlife and Marjah and Timothy McVeigh no longer appeared to Bill as abstractions.
—Hazlitt, 9 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for abstraction 
Jeanine Barone, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
Essay Love Means Leaving the World Out of It
Michelle Dean
In both her poetry and her relationship with Robert Browning, Elizabeth Barrett understood love as an abstraction beyond everyday matters.
—Max Ufberg, hazlitt.net, 4 Jan. 2025
Its rigid thematic frame—an arid realm of thinly evoked abstractions—carries over into its composition.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2025
Finally, two weeks before his forty-fourth birthday, Fish and Wildlife and Marjah and Timothy McVeigh no longer appeared to Bill as abstractions.
—Hazlitt, 9 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for abstraction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstraction
Noun
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And Analysts Work Together As One The most powerful ideas align with the needs of the audience.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
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This trade idea has the Rockets bolstering their frontcourt by adding one of the best available big men on the trading block, Portland Trail Blazers center, Robert Williams III.—
Raul A. Reyes,
Newsweek,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Clients benefit from seamless collaboration, as the firm oversees every aspect of a project, from initial concept to final construction, and even procurement of furnishings and artwork.—
Chris Gallagher,
USA TODAY,
16 Jan. 2025
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Robert Eggers is taking the concept of a bloody Valentine quite literally for an upcoming program at New York City’s Film at Lincoln Center.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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According to a recent study funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, surrogate pregnancy carries a significantly larger risk of complications than pregnancies coming from natural conception or IVF.—
Lili Rutai,
The Dial,
7 Jan. 2025
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The film’s impersonality reflects its arm’s-length conception.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
3 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Like an adult version of the Heathers of Heathers, the trio are bound by a notion of friendship that is stronger than the truth it is based on.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
24 Jan. 2025
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Trump’s administration argued the move will allow officials to deport those with criminal records, but members of the CHC pushed back on this notion.—
Cheyanne M. Daniels,
The Hill,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
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After analyzing these thoughts, create a 'mental decluttering' plan with daily practices to keep my mind clear and focused.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes,
17 Jan. 2025
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The Social Media Reaction After Madison's theory went viral on TikTok, many people were quick to share their thoughts on her perspective.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The impression of Breillat created by her films is that of a person who is unafraid of—who perhaps even delights in—confrontation.—
Victoria Uren,
The New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2025
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He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to Time, but the incident left a lasting, bitter impression about banks in Jackson’s mind.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
26 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near abstraction
Cite this Entry
“Abstraction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstraction. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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