- [countable, uncountable] (formal)
a general idea not based on any particular real person, thing or situation; the quality of being abstract 抽象概念；抽象 Ideological abstractions are never going to attract many voters. 空洞的说教绝不会吸引很多选民。 The increasing abstraction of modern art has tended to make it increasingly difficult to interpret. 现代艺术日益抽象，阐释起来也越加困难。 The idea of ‘the nation’ can be seen as an abstraction. “国家”的概念可以被视为一种抽象概念。
- [uncountable] (formal)
the state of thinking deeply about something and not paying attention to what is around you 出神；心神专注 She was gazing in abstraction at the far corner of the room. 她出神地凝视着房间的另一个角落。
- [uncountable, countable]
the action of removing something from something else; the process of being removed from something else 提取；抽取；分离 water abstraction from rivers 从河流中抽取水
Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin abstractio(n-), from the verb abstrahere ‘draw away’ from ab- ‘from’ + trahere ‘draw off’.