abstract

Compared meaning: existing only as an idea, not something real (adjective).

比较义项：只存在于观念中、非实际存在的（形容词）。

• abstract 本词

  Describes something that exists only as an idea, not a physical or concrete thing; often contrasts with real, tangible objects, and commonly describes abstract art or abstract thought.

  表示某事物只存在于观念中，而非实际或具体的事物；常与“具体的”“实际的”事物相对，也常用来形容抽象艺术或抽象思维。

  Love and justice are abstract ideas that we can't touch or see.

  爱与正义是我们无法触摸或看见的抽象观念。

• conceptual

  Describes something based on ideas or general principles rather than something already realized or built; typically used for plans, designs or artworks still at an early, unrealized stage.

  表示某事物基于概念或一般原理，而非已经实现或建成的事物；通常用于仍处于早期、尚未落实的方案、设计或艺术作品。

  The design is still conceptual, so the building doesn't exist yet.

  这个设计方案仍处于概念阶段，建筑物尚未真正建成。

Both describe something that exists only as an idea, not a physical thing. Abstract means hard to picture, with no concrete form, as in abstract art. Conceptual means based on ideas or principles, still at an early, unrealized stage, like a design or plan.

这两个词都表示“只存在于观念中、而非具体实物”的抽象性质，但语气和用法略有不同：abstract 强调难以捉摸、缺乏具体形象，常形容抽象的观念、抽象艺术或抽象思维；conceptual 强调基于概念或原理，常用于尚处构思、设计阶段、还没有落实为具体成果的方案或作品。

Compared meaning: a short summary of a longer piece of work (noun).

比较义项：对较长内容所做的简要概述（名词）。

• abstract 本词

  Abstract is the formal, academic term for a summary placed at the start of a research paper, condensing its key findings and methods.

  abstract是正式、学术性的说法，指放在研究论文开头、概括其主要发现和方法的摘要。

  Her paper's abstract summarized the key findings in under two hundred words.

  她论文的abstract用不到两百字概括了主要发现。

• outline

  Outline is a structured, point-by-point sketch of the main ideas or shape of something, often drafted before writing the full piece.

  outline指对要点或结构所做的提纲式概述，通常在写作完整内容之前先草拟出来。

  He drafted a rough outline before writing the full report.

  他在撰写完整报告之前先起草了一份简要的outline。

• synopsis

  Synopsis specifically summarizes the plot and main points of a book, film or play, and is common in descriptions of fiction.

  synopsis特指对一本书、一部电影或一部剧作的情节和要点所做的简要概述，常用于介绍虚构类作品。

  The film's synopsis revealed the ending, so I stopped reading it.

  这部电影的synopsis透露了结局，于是我就不想再看下去了。

Abstract, outline, and synopsis all mean a summary of something longer. Abstract is the formal, academic term for a paper's opening summary. Outline is a structured sketch of the main ideas, written before the piece. Synopsis summarizes the plot of a book, film, or play.

这三个词都指对较长内容所做的简要概述，但语域和适用对象不同：abstract多用于学术论文的摘要，outline强调结构性的提纲，synopsis多用于书籍或电影的情节概要。这里不比较 abstract 作形容词“抽象的”的用法。