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Abstract vs Basic - What's the difference?

abstract | basic | Related terms |

In lang=en terms the difference between abstract and basic

is that abstract is lacking a story while basic is vapid, boring, or uncool.

As nouns the difference between abstract and basic

is that abstract is an abridgement or summary while basic is a necessary commodity, a staple requirement.

As adjectives the difference between abstract and basic

is that abstract is derived; extracted while basic is necessary, essential for life or some process.

As a verb abstract

is to separate; to disengage.

As a proper noun BASIC is

a family of third-generation programming languages (c.1964 on).

abstract

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl), from (etyl) abstractus, perfect passive participle of .

Noun

(en noun)
  • An abridgement or summary.
  • * — An abstract of every treatise he had read.
  • Something that concentrates in itself the qualities of larger item, or multiple items.
  • * — Man, the abstract Of all perfection, which the workmanship Of Heaven hath modeled.
  • # Concentrated essence of a product.
  • # (medicine) A powdered solid extract of a medicinal substance mixed with lactose.
  • An abstraction; an term; that which is abstract.
  • * — The concretes "father" and "son" have, or might have, the abstracts "paternity" and "filiety".
  • The theoretical way of looking at things; something that exists only in idealized form.
  • (arts) An abstract work of art.
  • (real estate) A summary title of the key points detailing a tract of land, for ownership; abstract of title.
    • Usage notes
    * (theoretical way of looking at things) Preceded, typically, by the .
    Synonyms
    * (statement summarizing the important points of a text) abridgment, compendium, epitome, synopsis
    Derived terms
    * abstract of title

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • (obsolete) Derived; extracted.
  • (now, rare) Drawn away; removed from; apart from; separate.
  • * 17th century , , The Oxford Dictionary :
    • The more abstract we are from the body ... the more fit we shall be to behold divine light.
  • Expressing a property or attribute separately of an object that is considered to be inherent to that object.
  • Considered apart from any application to a particular object; not concrete; ideal; non-specific; general, as opposed to specific.
  • * - A concrete name is a name which stands for a thing; an abstract' name which stands for an attribute of a thing. A practice has grown up in more modern times, which, if not introduced by Locke, has gained currency from his example, of applying the expression "' abstract name" to all names which are the result of abstraction and generalization, and consequently to all general names, instead of confining it to the names of attributes.
  • Difficult to understand; abstruse; hard to conceptualize.
  • *
  • (archaic) Absent-minded.
  • * Milton
    • abstract , as in a trance
  • *
  • (arts) Pertaining to the formal aspect of art, such as the lines, colors, shapes, and the relationships among them.
  • # (arts, often, capitalized) Free from representational qualities, in particular the non-representational styles of the 20th century.
  • # (music) Absolute.
  • # (dance) Lacking a story.
  • Insufficiently factual.
  • Apart from practice or reality; vague; theoretical; impersonal; not applied.
  • (grammar) As a noun, denoting an intangible as opposed to an object, place, or person.
  • (computing) Of a class in object-oriented programming, being a partial basis for subclasses rather than a complete template for objects.
    • Synonyms
    * (not applied or practical) conceptual, theoretical * (insufficiently factual) formal * (difficult to understand) abstruse
    Antonyms
    * (not applied or practical) applied, practical * (considered apart from concrete existence) concrete
    Derived terms
    * abstractly * abstractness * abstract idea * abstract noun * abstract numbers * abstract terms
    See also
    * reify

    Etymology 2

    First attested in 1542. Partly from' English abstract (adjective form), ' and from (etyl) abstrat past participle of .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To separate; to disengage.
  • * - He was incapable of forming any opinion or resolution abstracted from his own prejudices.
  • To remove; to take away; withdraw.
  • *
  • * Sir Walter Scott
    • He was incapable of forming any opinion or resolution abstracted from his own prejudices.
  • (euphemistic) To steal; to take away; to remove without permission.
  • * - Von Rosen had quietly abstracted the bearing-reins from the harness.
  • To summarize; to abridge; to epitomize.
    • (Franklin)
  • (obsolete) To extract by means of distillation.
  • *
  • To consider abstractly; to contemplate separately or by itself; to consider theoretically; to look at as a general quality.
  • *
  • (intransitive, reflexive, literally, figuratively) To withdraw oneself; to retire.
  • To draw off (interest or attention).
  • * , Blackwood's Magazine - The young stranger had been abstracted and silent.
    • He was wholly abstracted by other objects.
  • (rare) To perform the process of abstraction.
  • * - I own myself able to abstract in one sense.
  • (fine arts) To create abstractions.
  • (computing) To produce an abstraction, usually by refactoring existing code. Generally used with "out".
    • He abstracted out the square root function.
    Usage notes
    * (to separate or disengage) Followed by the word from . * (to withdraw oneself) Followed by the word from . * (to summarize) Pronounced predominately as /?æb?strækt/. * All other senses are pronounced as /æb?strækt/.
    Synonyms
    * remove, separate, take away, withdraw * abridge, epitomize, summarize * filch, purloin, steal
    Derived terms
    * abstractable * abstracted * abstracter * abstractor
    Related terms
    * abstraction * abstractive * abstractum

    References

    * English heteronyms ----

    basic

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Necessary, essential for life or some process.
    • Flour is a basic ingredient of bread.
  • Elementary, simple, fundamental, merely functional.
    • The Hotel Sparta’s accommodation is purely basic .
  • (chemistry) Of or pertaining to a base; having a pH greater than 7.
  • (slang) Vapid, boring, or uncool.
  • * 2011 , (Kreayshawn), "(Gucci Gucci)", (w, Somethin' 'Bout Kreay) :
    • Gucci Gucci, Louis Louis, Fendi Fendi, Prada / Them basic bitches wear that shit, so I don't even bother
  • * 2013 , Sam Stryker, " Why Does Everyone Hate Anne Hathaway?", The Observer (University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College), Volume 46, Issue 101, 1 March 2013, page 11:
    • I'm not saying people are jealous of Hathaway because she is so perfect. Yes, she does have it all — husband, healthy career, good looks. But she doesn't do anything in an "awesome" way. She's basic .
  • * 2014 , Trevor Thrall, " Firing Line: Rowling says ‘JK,’ Ron and Hermione not meant to be", The Daily Campus (Southern Methodist University), Volume 99, Issue 54, 3 February 2014, page 4:
    • And what can be said about Ginny? She’s basic . My guess is that she spends her time drinking pumpkin spice lattes and watching “Pretty Little Liars.” The Chosen One is way out of her quidditch league.
  • *

    • Synonyms

    * See also * (chemistry) alkaline

    Antonyms

    * (chemistry) acidic

    Derived terms

    * basically * BASIC

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A necessary commodity, a staple requirement.
    • Rice is a basic for many Asian villagers.
  • An elementary building block, e.g. a fundamental piece of knowledge.
    • Arithmetic is a basic for the study of mathematics.
  • (military) Basic training.

    • Anagrams

    * ----