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abstract idea

abstract idea An abstract idea is a mental grasp of the shared qualities or attributes of something, considered on their own rather than as they appear in many separate examples.

An abstract idea is a mental grasp of the shared qualities or attributes of something, considered on their own rather than as they appear in many separate examples. It goes beyond a general idea by setting aside the different instances and focusing only on the common character, such as thinking of humanity rather than particular people.

Also see

Sources

Drafting source: Baldwin Dictionary of Philosophy and Psychology, 1901. 1901 New York Macmillan original; archive index checked 2026-10-18. “Abstract Idea” (Abstract Idea).
public-domain-US · Source snapshot SHA-256: 1503e1189bba3f3b17b5256c76f07b09de24de466a87a480be4a1df7b5584c67

These citations identify the drafting sources. This is a candidate definition. It has not yet been read by the two reviewers. Source institutions do not endorse this dictionary.

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PsychTerms (psychterms.org), CC BY 4.0, version 1. “abstract idea.” Development preview.

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