I. ab ‧ stract 1 AC /ˈæbstrækt/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: past participle of abstrahere , from abs- 'away' + trahere 'to pull' ]
1 . based on general ideas or principles rather than specific examples or real events SYN theoretical
abstract idea/concept etc
the ability to translate abstract ideas into words
By the age of seven, children are capable of thinking in abstract terms.
Human beings are the only creatures capable of abstract thought (=thinking about ideas) .
2 . existing only as an idea or quality rather than as something real that you can see or touch OPP concrete :
the abstract nature of beauty
3 .
abstract paintings, designs etc consist of shapes and patterns that do not look like real people or things
⇨ ↑ abstract noun
II. abstract 2 AC BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . a painting, design etc which contains shapes or images that do not look like real things or people
2 . a short written statement containing only the most important ideas in a speech, article etc
3 . in the abstract considered in a general way rather than being based on specific details and examples:
Talking about crime in the abstract just isn’t enough.
III. ab ‧ stract 3 AC /əbˈstrækt, æb-/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
1 . to write a document containing the most important ideas or points from a speech, article etc
2 . formal to remove something from somewhere