abstractedness

C2 Topic:Abstract Ideas
US /æbˈstræktɪdnəs/ UK /əbˈstræktɪdnəs/
noun

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    the state of being absorbed in thought and inattentive to one's surroundings

    His abstractedness made him miss the question entirely.

  2. 2
    noun

    the abstract, remote, or difficult character of a subject

    The abstractedness of the metaphysical argument made it difficult for new readers.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · the state of being absorbed... preoccupationabsent-mindedness
2 noun · the abstract, remote, or... abstractionabstruseness
Word family

Etymology

Formed from abstracted + -ness. Abstract ultimately comes through Latin abstractus, the past participle of abstrahere, meaning 'to draw away,' which explains both withdrawal of attention and removal from concrete particulars.

Topics

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