concrete representation
1
4.4
- noun
- /kənˈkriːt ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnteɪʃən/
:
representación concreta
- In art class, we created a concrete representation of the theme by using various materials to express our ideas.
Examples
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She provided a concrete representation of her theory by using diagrams and models to make it easier to understand.
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A thinking frame is a concrete representation of a particular cognitive process broken down into specific steps and used to support the thought process (Perkins, 1987).
Academic text (1997) -
We said, here's a concrete representation of the notions that we wrote down over here.
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Young children learn best through a concrete representation of ideas, like using toys to explain concepts.
Synonyms
78
4.1
A person or thing that clearly shows a quality
74
3.5
A picture or model that shows what something looks like
61
3.2
An example or story that helps make a point clear
38
5.5
A person or thing that shows an idea, quality and feeling
25
4.4
A description using words that shows what something is like
1
6.3
A visible thing like a flag that stands for an idea you cannot see
1
6.7
An example that shows something, or the act of showing something using an example
How Concrete
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a clear or tangible example that expresses an abstract idea' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'concrete' (tangible, material) with 'representation' (a depiction or stand-in). This adjective + noun composition follows standard semantic composition and is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Concrete representation comes from the idea of turning a 'abstract' thought into something you can see or touch: concrete means solid or real and representation means a picture or model. Teachers and artists do this by showing a clear example, so the phrase means a clear, real example that makes a hard idea easy to understand.