Abstract vs. Obstruct — What's the Difference?

Abstract concepts focus on ideas rather than events.

In medicine, an obstructed airway can be a critical emergency.

Abstract expressionism is an art movement that expresses emotions and ideas using abstract forms.

Obstructive tactics in sports can include actions that impede opponents unfairly.

Abstract reasoning tests measure your ability to identify patterns and logic in abstract information.

Obstructive policies can hinder progress in social reforms.

Abstract art emphasizes forms and colors over realistic forms.

To obstruct means to block or impede something physically or figuratively.

Abstract thinking involves creating theories or ideas separate from specific examples.

Obstruction in law refers to deliberately impeding the administration of justice.

Considered apart from concrete existence

Block (an opening, path, road, etc.); be or get in the way of

Not applied or practical; theoretical.

To block or fill (a passage or opening) with obstacles or an obstacle.

Difficult to understand; abstruse

To impede, retard, or interfere with; hinder

Denoting something that is immaterial, conceptual, or nonspecific, as an idea or quality

To block or fill (a passage) with obstacles or an obstacle. block

Impersonal, as in attitude or views.

To impede, retard, or interfere with; hinder.

Having an intellectual and affective artistic content that depends solely on intrinsic form rather than on narrative content or pictorial representation

To get in the way of so as to hide from sight.

A statement summarizing the important points of a text.

To block up; to stop up or close, as a way or passage; to place an obstacle in, or fill with obstacles or impediments that prevent or hinder passing; as, to obstruct a street; to obstruct the channels of the body.

Something abstract.

To be, or come, in the way of; to hinder from passing; to stop; to impede; to retard; as, the bar in the harbor obstructs the passage of ships; clouds obstruct the light of the sun; unwise rules obstruct legislation.

An abstract of title.

Hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of;

To take away; remove

Block passage through;

To remove without permission; steal

Shut out from view or get in the way so as to hide from sight;

To consider (an idea, for example) as separate from particular examples or objects

(ăbstrăkt′) To write a summary of; summarize

To create artistic abstractions of (something else, such as a concrete object or another style)

An abridgement or summary of a longer publication.

Something that concentrates in itself the qualities of a larger item, or multiple items.

Concentrated essence of a product.

(medicine) A powdered solid extract of a medicinal substance mixed with lactose.

An abstraction; an abstract term; that which is abstract.

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.

(obsolete) Derived; extracted.

Drawn away; removed from; apart from; separate.

Not concrete: conceptual, ideal.

Insufficiently factual.

Apart from practice or reality; vague; theoretical; impersonal; not applied.

(grammar) As a noun, denoting a concept or intangible as opposed to an object, place, or person.

Difficult to understand; abstruse; hard to conceptualize.

Separately expressing a property or attribute of an object that is considered to be inherent to that object: attributive, ascriptive.

Pertaining comprehensively to, or representing, a class or group of objects, as opposed to any specific object; considered apart from any application to a particular object: general, generic, nonspecific; representational.

(archaic) Absent-minded.

(arts) Pertaining to the formal aspect of art, such as the lines, colors, shapes, and the relationships among them.

Free from representational qualities, in particular the non-representational styles of the 20^th century.

(music) Absolute.

(dance) Lacking a story.

Being a partial basis for subclasses rather than a complete template for objects.

(transitive) To separate; to disengage.

(transitive) To remove; to take away; withdraw.

To steal; to take away; to remove without permission.

(transitive) To summarize; to abridge; to epitomize.

To conceptualize an ideal subgroup by means of the generalization of an attribute, as follows: by apprehending an attribute inherent to one individual, then separating that attribute and contemplating it by itself, then conceiving of that attribute as a general quality, then despecifying that conceived quality with respect to several or many individuals, and by then ideating a group composed of those individuals perceived to possess said quality.

To extract by means of distillation.

(transitive) To consider abstractly; to contemplate separately or by itself; to consider theoretically; to look at as a general quality.

To withdraw oneself; to retire.

(transitive) To draw off (interest or attention).

To perform the process of abstraction.

To create abstractions.

To produce an abstraction, usually by refactoring existing code. Generally used with "out".

Withdraw; separate.

Considered apart from any application to a particular object; separated from matter; existing in the mind only; as, abstract truth, abstract numbers. Hence: ideal; abstruse; difficult.

Expressing a particular property of an object viewed apart from the other properties which constitute it; - opposed to concrete; as, honesty is an abstract word.

Abstracted; absent in mind.

To withdraw; to separate; to take away.

To draw off in respect to interest or attention; as, his was wholly abstracted by other objects.

To separate, as ideas, by the operation of the mind; to consider by itself; to contemplate separately, as a quality or attribute.

To epitomize; to abridge.

To take secretly or dishonestly; to purloin; as, to abstract goods from a parcel, or money from a till.

To separate, as the more volatile or soluble parts of a substance, by distillation or other chemical processes. In this sense extract is now more generally used.

To perform the process of abstraction.

That which comprises or concentrates in itself the essential qualities of a larger thing or of several things. Specifically: A summary or an epitome, as of a treatise or book, or of a statement; a brief.

A state of separation from other things; as, to consider a subject in the abstract, or apart from other associated things.

An abstract term.

A powdered solid extract of a vegetable substance mixed with sugar of milk in such proportion that one part of the abstract represents two parts of the original substance.

A concept or idea not associated with any specific instance;

A sketchy summary of the main points of an argument or theory

Consider a concept without thinking of a specific example; consider abstractly or theoretically

Make off with belongings of others

Consider apart from a particular case or instance;

Give an abstract (of)

Existing only in the mind; separated from embodiment;

Not representing or imitating external reality or the objects of nature;

Based on specialized theory;

Dealing with a subject in the abstract without practical purpose or intention;

Abstract thinking involves understanding concepts that are not observed or concrete, using thought processes centered around generalities and theoretical principles.

Yes, abstract reasoning can be improved with practice, such as through engaging with puzzles, studying logic, and exploring abstract concepts in various fields.

An example includes software that is intentionally designed with complicated user interfaces, making it difficult for users to access certain features or information.

In negotiations, obstructive tactics might be used to delay decisions, manipulate outcomes, or gain leverage by preventing other parties from advancing their agendas effectively.

Common obstructive behaviors include evading questions, using complex jargon unnecessarily, or deliberately changing subjects to impede understanding.

Abstract art focuses on expressions of shapes, colors, and forms, often without attempting to depict reality directly, unlike traditional art that aims for realistic portrayal.

In scientific research, abstraction helps simplify complex phenomena into manageable concepts, allowing scientists to develop models and theories that explain broader patterns or behaviors observed in nature.

Yes, abstraction is a recognized form of art that prioritizes elements such as color, shape, and form to evoke emotions or ideas, often without depicting the real world directly. This form encourages viewers to engage with art at an interpretive level.

In literature, abstract language is used to convey themes, emotions, and ideas indirectly through metaphor, symbolism, and other figurative language, allowing for multiple interpretations by the reader.

Obstruction in legal proceedings can lead to delays, increased costs, and potential miscarriages of justice, as well as penalties for those found guilty of obstructive actions.