# abstract

/ˈæbˌstɹækt/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/abstract
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. conceptual

adjective · CEFR B2

existing as an idea or feeling rather than a physical object you can touch.

For teachers: relating to or denoting ideas, concepts, or qualities rather than concrete physical objects.

- Truth and justice are abstract ideas that people have debated for centuries.
- The philosopher struggled to ground his abstract theories in the messy realities of daily political life.

### 2. non-representational art

adjective · CEFR B2

a style of art that uses shapes and colours instead of showing real people or places.

For teachers: denoting a style of art that does not attempt to represent external reality, but seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, forms, colours, and textures.

- The museum has a large collection of abstract paintings from the 1950s.
- Kandinsky is often credited with creating the first purely abstract works, moving away from recognisable subjects entirely.

### 3. a summary

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic

a short piece of writing that gives the main points of a longer report or speech.

For teachers: a brief summary of the chief points of a larger work, such as a scholarly article, thesis, or legal document.

- I read the abstract of the research paper to see if it was relevant to my project.
- The conference organisers require a three-hundred-word abstract before they will consider your proposal for a presentation.

### 4. to remove or separate

verb · CEFR C1 · Academic · Formal

to remove something from a larger group or to think about it separately.

For teachers: to consider something theoretically or separately from its physical context; to extract or remove.

- It is difficult to abstract the data from the original report without losing context.
- The researcher attempted to abstract the general principles of linguistics from the specific dialects spoken in the valley.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'from'.

### 5. to summarize

verb · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

to write a short summary of a long document.

For teachers: to create a summary or abridgement of a text.

- The clerk was asked to abstract the legal documents for the judge.
- The intern spent the afternoon abstracting several lengthy medical journals for the department's monthly newsletter.

## Examples

- Truth and justice are abstract concepts.
- The speaker struggled to explain the abstract theory to an audience that was used to practical, hands-on examples.
- While the mathematician's work dealt entirely with abstract topological spaces, her findings eventually provided the foundation for highly practical advancements in quantum computing.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.