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Abstracting: meaning, definitions and examples

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abstracting

 

[ æbˈstræktɪŋ ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

process of abstraction

Abstracting refers to the process of extracting the underlying essence or common elements from a specific example or dataset. It involves distilling complex concepts down to their most fundamental components. This practice is often used in fields such as philosophy, computer science, and art. In software development, for example, abstracting can help create more generalized and reusable code. In the realm of art, it can mean representing objects or ideas through simplified or non-representational forms.

Synonyms

distilling, extracting, generalizing

Examples of usage

  • The artist is expert in abstracting emotions into visual forms.
  • By abstracting the data, researchers were able to identify patterns more easily.
  • He is abstracting the key themes from the literature for his thesis.

Translations

Translations of the word "abstracting" in other languages:

🇵🇹 abstraindo

🇮🇳 अवधारणात्मक

🇩🇪 abstrahieren

🇮🇩 mengabstraksi

🇺🇦 абстрагування

🇵🇱 abstrakcyjny

🇯🇵 抽象化する

🇫🇷 abstraire

🇪🇸 abstraer

🇹🇷 soyutlama

🇰🇷 추상화하다

🇸🇦 تجريد

🇨🇿 abstrahování

🇸🇰 abstrahovanie

🇨🇳 抽象

🇸🇮 abstrahiranje

🇮🇸 abstrakt

🇰🇿 абстракция

🇬🇪 აბსტრაქცია

🇦🇿 abstraktlaşdırma

🇲🇽 abstracción

Etymology

The term 'abstracting' is derived from the Latin root 'abstrahere,' which means 'to draw away' or 'to take away.' In early philosophical contexts, it referred to the act of separating ideas from the particular instances of reality. The use of the term in the context of art and design began in the 19th century as artists started exploring non-representational forms and focusing on the qualities of shapes and colors rather than direct representation. With the rise of modernism in the 20th century, abstracting became a critical practice in various disciplines, signaling a shift towards valuing conceptual understanding over concrete examples.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #20,026, this word is part of extensive vocabulary. It's relatively rare in general usage but may be important in specific fields or formal writing.