abstractly
/ˈæbstræktli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈæbstræktli/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˈ)ab-¦strak(t)-lē/ (ame, mw)
abstractly — adverb
1. in a way that deals with broad ideas, rules, or principles instead of specific p
in a way that deals with broad ideas, rules, or principles instead of specific people, objects, or situations — for example, discussing freedom as a concept rather than talking about a particular person's right to do something specific.
It is difficult for young children to think abstractly about numbers before they can count physical objects.
think abstractly about [topic] — common verb + adverb collocation
Fatima argued that the plan looked good abstractly but needed far more practical detail to work in a real city.
considered/seen abstractly vs. in practical terms — contrastive use
The lecture was too abstractly framed, so Diego kept asking the professor for a concrete example.
Kenji prefers to discuss problems abstractly at first, moving to specific cases only when the general principle is clear.
- theoretically
focuses on ideas in principle rather than in practice; more common than 'abstractly'
- conceptually
emphasises the mental framework or concept behind something
- in the abstract
phrase equivalent; 'considering something in the abstract' means looking at general principles
- generally
broader and less formal; can mean 'on the whole' rather than strictly 'not concrete'
- concretely
direct opposite — relating to specific, tangible examples
- practically
focuses on real-world application rather than theory
- specifically
points to particular instances rather than general ideas
文法句型
verb + abstractly
abstractly + adjective
considered/thought of abstractly
用法筆記
Commonly pairs with verbs of thinking, speaking, or describing (think, talk, discuss, consider, frame). The adverb often signals that the speaker is about to contrast an abstract statement with a concrete application.