ABSTRACT Synonyms: 191 Similar and Opposite Words

abstract 1 of 3

adjective

ab-ˈstrakt

Definition of abstract

as in theoretical

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

But this abstract legal principle didn't immediately create a market. — Vito Emanuel, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026 The Valpo Chamber design features some abstract designs along with icons evocative of Valparaiso, including Orville Redenbacher, the photogenic pedestrian bridge at Rogers Lakewood Park, ice cream and more. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026

Noun

The research is an abstract that hasn’t yet been peer-reviewed or published in a journal, but was presented in May at Digestive Disease Week, a prestigious annual meeting for professionals in gastroenterology, hepatology and related fields. — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 8 June 2026 The potential of McDavid and Matthews becoming available is a concept that still very much exists in the abstract. — Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 5 June 2026

Verb

Beginning in the eighteen-nineties, Karl Blossfeldt took closeups of plants abstracted from their environments, making visible the art of their natural curlicues and reticulations. — Max Norman, New Yorker, 21 May 2026 For The Landing Daybed, Torres abstracted the catenary curves of bridge suspension cables for the arched legs. — Diana Budds, Architectural Digest, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for abstract

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstract

Adjective

Alongside the latest projections, the agency released a database that categorized occupations based on their theoretical and observed exposure to AI.

— Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
One theoretical reason, Flanigan said, is that taking notes by hand creates a more meaningful and deeply processed record of information from a class lecture or meeting.

— Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of theoretical

Adjective

There is something in the string arrangement that sounds a bit impressionistic to me, but also profoundly Mexican, with the trumpets doubling the violin lines.

— Ernesto Lechner, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
It’s presented as an impressionistic historical montage, of Black farmworkers and the land, with clips of Black history that include modern suburbs, and a woman—Z herself—who gazes out of a door into a sere expanse of land bordered by low mountains.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of impressionistic

Noun

The memo provides a summary of the agreement between Google and Entergy, as well as summaries of testimony provided by Entergy officials in support of the contract.

— Sydney Sasser, Arkansas Online, 1 Sep. 2026
The letter from Blumenthal and an accompanying summary of the whistleblower’s statements says the Postal Service began work on the portal on June 15 and stopped on June 25 after Talwani’s initial order.

— Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of summary

Noun

One manifestation of that shift is a Holiday Inn Express ad campaign that ran for more than a decade beginning in 1998 and showed ordinary people completing complex tasks such as brain surgery that were far outside their professional expertise.

— Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
The dropping/suspension was the beginning of the end, or at least the most public manifestation of the beginning of the end.

— Nick Miller, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of manifestation

Verb

Nothing will keep you from sleeping or distract you from studying like itchy bug bites or the constant sneezing and drippy nose of seasonal allergies.

— Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
The long seven-month offseason has been filled with congressional legislation, eligibility lawsuits, CFP expansion and plenty of other storylines that have distracted from the product on the field.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of distract

Adjective

Eddy has been spared the worst violence; the novel casts his racial privilege as a kind of metaphysical exemption.

— Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
There seems to be a deliberate effort here to make the show more fun without dumbing down its metaphysical and philosophical implications.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of metaphysical

Browse Nearby Words

abstinent

abstract

abstracted

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Style

“Abstract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstract. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of abstract

adjective

noun

verb

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