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abstract noun
noun
- a noun denoting something immaterial and abstract, as rest, dread, or transportation.
- a noun formed with a suffix that imparts such a meaning, as kindness.
abstract noun
noun
- a noun that refers to an abstract concept, as for example kindness Compare concrete noun
Word History and Origins
Origin of abstract noun1
Compare Meanings
How does abstract noun compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
In 2018, the word justice became the rare word that arguably fits into both of these categories, a familiar and abstract noun that never drops into lookup obscurity but that was much more frequently looked up this year than in the past.
Skinny, usually an adjective, is here turned into an abstract noun, paired with another abstract noun, nothing.
The only email sent by Eakin showed an elementary schoolteacher in the classroom asking her students for two examples of an abstract noun, something they can think of but not touch.
To sugar the pill the commission has recruited another abstract noun: responsibility.
Absence, addressed directly in the opening line, might almost be an allegorical figure rather than an abstract noun.
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More About Abstract Noun
What is an abstract noun?
An abstract noun is a type of noun that represents immaterial or abstract items, that is, things that we can’t actually interact with using our five senses. Abstract nouns are things like ideas, concepts, feelings, and traits.
For example, fear is an abstract noun that refers to a feeling. Although you might be able to see the thing you feel fear about, like a spider, you can’t see or touch the fear itself.
Other examples of abstract nouns are justice and mercy. You can’t use your senses to interact with justice and mercy, but you likely know them when they happen. Abstract nouns help us talk about complicated things.
Abstract nouns are one of the two major categories of nouns. The other one is concrete nouns, which we use for material things, such as puppy, cheese, or Peru. Some words are concrete nouns even if they’re invisible or tasteless. For example, the word wind is a concrete noun because you can feel it on your skin—it’s a real-world thing, as opposed to an abstract concept.
Many verbs and adjectives become abstract nouns when they’re combined with a suffix that creates a noun, such as –ness or –ion. For example, loneliness comes from the adjective lonely and education comes from the verb educate.
What are abstract nouns important?
The first records of the term abstract noun come from the 1350s. It is a combination of the word noun, a term for the words we use to describe people, places, things, and ideas, and the adjective abstract, which means something that isn’t physical.
Because abstract nouns represent abstract things, they are often the hardest words to define or have the most complicated meanings. You can probably describe what a tree or basketball is in one or two sentences. But trying to explain cooperation or love is much more difficult.
Did you know ... ?
Some verbs can be used as an abstract noun without adding a suffix, such as hate, exercise, and orbit.
What are real-life examples of abstract nouns?
Abstract nouns include things like ideas, concepts, feelings, and traits. They’re important in the discussion of complicated topics.
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Curiosity didn't kill the cat. Curiosity is an abstract noun and a quality found in humans that is not capable of killing anyone or thing :)
— Chai (@MyNamesChai) May 10, 2016
Love is an abstract noun.
— आशु ( Ashu) (@sentientones) April 16, 2020
What other words are related to abstract noun?
Quiz yourself!
Which of the following words is NOT an abstract noun?
A. peace
B. shyness
C. fish
D. time
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