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abstraction

abstraction

25 8.0
Making a simple idea from many details to show what is common
  • noun
  • /æbˈstrækʃən/
translation icon : abstracción
  • In philosophy, an abstraction allows us to understand complex ideas without being hindered by specific examples.
  • level of abstraction
  • high-level abstraction
  • degree of abstraction

It's a mathematical abstraction of the brain.

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Examples

  • In fact, none of these cultures actually exist, except as an abstraction or generalization.

    Academic text (1990)
  • So the basic memory abstraction is as follows.

  • And so the the level of abstraction is complete.

  • And the circle was our experience, which is our first abstraction from reality.

  • It's a mathematical abstraction of the brain.

  • Every inquiry proceeds from some kind of prior selection and abstraction from the whole.

    Academic text (1991)
  • The methodology uses the concept of power points and the abstraction of electrical data across the design hierarchy.

    Academic text (1999)
  • We argue that named data is a better abstraction for today's communication problems than named hosts.

    Academic text (2012)
  • So you're modelling the world through these abstractions in the course of building a model.

  • A new container abstraction lets administrators manage and revoke resources for processes they cannot observe.

    Academic text (2011)

Synonyms

concept
vsabstraction
4.5

An idea you get after seeing many examples, like freedom

is the action or result of making that general idea by dropping details
abstract
vsabstraction
16 8.0

A general idea not tied to a specific example

emphasizes the making of a general idea from many specific details
conceptualization
vsabstraction
  • Specialized
5 7.5

Forming a clear idea of something in your mind

focuses on forming a general idea specifically by omitting particular details
generalization
vsabstraction
2 5.5

Seeing the same pattern in many examples helps form a general rule

is the process of forming a general idea by ignoring specific details
abstractness
vsabstraction
1 9.1

A way of thinking about ideas instead of real things

is more about forming a general idea by setting aside specific details

Antonyms

A clear, simple example that helps you see an idea that is hard to imagine

Compounds

semi-abstraction
  • Specialized
8.8

An art style where some things look like real life but not completely

How Abstract

formalization
  • US
1 6.7
abstraction
25 8.0
generalization
  • US
43 5.3
concreteness
1 5.0

Surface Forms

abstraction singular
abstractions plural

Morphology

abstraction = abstract (transparent) = abstract + ion

The noun is a regular formation from the verb/adjective 'abstract' with the productive suffix '-ion', yielding the process/result meaning.

Etymology

Abstraction comes from the parts ab- 'away' and tract (as in tractor) 'to pull'. Think of pulling away small, real details to keep the main idea, so abstraction means forming a general concept by leaving out specifics.