n.
Pronunciation: ab- ' strakt, ' ab- ˌ
Function: adjective
Etymology: Medieval Latin abstractus, from Latin, past participle of abstrahere to drag away, from abs-, ab- + trahere to pull, draw
Date: 14th century
1 a : disassociated from any specific instance <an abstract entity> b : difficult to understand : ABSTRUSE < abstract problems> c : insufficiently factual : FORMAL <possessed only an abstract right>
2 : expressing a quality apart from an object <the word poem is concrete, poetry is abstract >
3 a : dealing with a subject in its abstract aspects : THEORETICAL < abstract science> b : IMPERSONAL , DETACHED <the abstract compassion of a surgeon ― Time >
4 : having only intrinsic form with little or no attempt at pictorial representation or narrative content < abstract painting>
– ab · stract · ly \ ab- ' strak(t)-l ē , ' ab- ˌ \ adverb
– ab · stract · ness \ ab- ' strak(t)-n ə s, ' ab- ˌ \ noun