abstract

Type: verb, noun, adjective

Definitions: (verb) If you abstract something, you take it out; you remove it. (noun) An abstract is a short text that tells you the main ideas of a longer text, especially of scientific papers; it is a summary of something longer. (adjective) If something is abstract, it is usual non-physical and is difficult to imagine or think about.

Examples: (verb) The book abstracts important historical lessons from the period leading up to war (noun) The abstract of Isaac Newton’s laws of gravity may be no more than 150 words. (adjective) The birth of the universe requires some very abstract ideas. (adjective) More abstract ideas like “democracy” are not possible for animals. (adjective) A lot of abstract paintings use strange shapes that many people do not like.

Synonyms: adjectives: complex. philosophical, complex, deep. nouns: summary, introduction. verbs: separate, extract, remove.

Academic Word List Sublist and Group: 6 C