abstract away from
C1 formal inseparable transitive
In simple words
To stop thinking about the small details so you can think about the bigger picture.
Literal meaning: To pull (abstract) something away from its original context — to lift meaning out of the specific.
Meanings
1 C1
idiomatic
formal
To deliberately disregard specific details in order to focus on a higher-level concept or general principle.
"In philosophy, you often need to abstract away from everyday experience to examine pure concepts."
Grammar: inseparable
2 C1
idiomatic
formal
In computing, to hide implementation details behind a simpler interface or model.
"The library abstracts away from the underlying hardware, making the code more portable."
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
Common in academic, philosophical, and technical (especially computer science) writing. Rarely used in everyday conversation. In computing, it refers to hiding complexity behind a simpler interface.
Commonly used with
details complexity specifics implementation noise particulars
Forms
Base
abstract away from
I/you/we/they
3rd person
abstracts away from
he/she/it
Past simple
abstracted away from
yesterday
Past participle
abstracted away from
have + pp
-ing form
abstracting away from
continuous
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Synonyms
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