abstract idea
Intangible mental construct
An abstract idea is a concept that exists only in the mind, without physical form or concrete instance.
Justice, freedom, love, and infinity are abstract ideas—you can think about them, argue over them, but never touch them.
The term often appears in legal and philosophical contexts: The patent was rejected because it covered an abstract idea rather than a specific invention.
- notionImprecise mental impression
- conceptAbstract mental construct
- theoryExplanatory set of principles
- in theoryHypothetically, not actually
- thoughtMental concept or reflection
thought experiment · platonic · archetype · essence · universals · metaphysics · big picture · axiom · intangible · categorization · epistemology · conceptual framework · qualia · formless · ontology · symbolism · philosophy · ivory tower
- categoriestypes, category, kinds, class, classes
- hypotheticalshypothesis, hypothetical, what-if, what if, conjecture
abstract ideaphysical reality
The material universe
flesh and blood · brick and mortar · substance · matter · body
abstract ideapractical application
Real-world employment of knowledge
hands-on approach · practical knowledge · hands-on experience · lived experience · nuts and bolts
idea, ideal, contract, attract, distract, attraction, subtraction, abstract, abstraction