Preface vs. Abstract

Preface vs. Abstract — Is There a Difference?
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Difference Between Preface and Abstract

Prefacenoun

The beginning or introductory portion that comes before the main text of a document or book.

The book included a brief preface by a leading expert in the field.

Abstractnoun

An abridgement or summary of a longer publication.

Prefacenoun

An introduction, or series of preliminary remarks.

Abstractnoun

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

Prefacenoun

(Roman Catholic) The prelude or introduction to the canon of the Mass.

Abstractnoun

Concentrated essence of a product.

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Prefaceverb

(transitive) To introduce or make a comment before (the main point).

Let me preface this by saying that I don't know him that well.

Abstractnoun

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

Prefaceverb

(transitive) To give a preface to.

to preface a book

Abstractnoun

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

Prefacenoun

a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book

Abstractnoun

The theoretical way of looking at things; something that exists only in idealized form.

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Prefaceverb

furnish with a preface or introduction;

She always precedes her lectures with a jokeHe prefaced his lecture with a critical remark about the institution

Abstractnoun

(arts) An abstract work of art.

Abstractnoun

(real estate) A summary title of the key points detailing a tract of land, for ownership; abstract of title.

Abstractadjective

(obsolete) Derived; extracted.

Abstractadjective

Drawn away; removed from; apart from; separate.

Abstractadjective

Expressing a property or attribute separately of an object that is considered to be inherent to that object.

Abstractadjective

Considered apart from any application to a particular object; not concrete; ideal; non-specific; general, as opposed to specific.

Abstractadjective

Difficult to understand; abstruse; hard to conceptualize.

Abstractadjective

(archaic) Absent-minded.

Abstractadjective

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

Abstractadjective

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

Abstractadjective

(music) Absolute.

Abstractadjective

(dance) Lacking a story.

Abstractadjective

Insufficiently factual.

Abstractadjective

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

Abstractadjective

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

Abstractadjective

(computing) Of a class in object-oriented programming, being a partial basis for subclasses rather than a complete template for objects.

Abstractverb

(transitive) To separate; to disengage.

Abstractverb

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

Abstractverb

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

Abstractverb

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

Abstractverb

To extract by means of distillation.

Abstractverb

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

Abstractverb

To withdraw oneself; to retire.

Abstractverb

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

He was wholly abstracted by other objects.

Abstractverb

To perform the process of abstraction.

Abstractverb

To create abstractions.

Abstractverb

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

He abstracted out the square root function.

Abstractnoun

a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance;

he loved her only in the abstract--not in person

Abstractnoun

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

Abstractverb

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

Abstractverb

make off with belongings of others

Abstractverb

consider apart from a particular case or instance;

Let's abstract away from this particular example

Abstractverb

give an abstract (of)

Abstractadjective

existing only in the mind; separated from embodiment;

abstract words like `truth' and `justice'

Abstractadjective

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

a large abstract painting

Abstractadjective

based on specialized theory;

a theoretical analysis

Abstractadjective

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

abstract reasoningabstract science