Definition of the word abstract nouns

When we study grammar, we learn that nouns are the names of people, places and things. But what are abstract nouns? What makes them different from concrete nouns? Read on to find out about abstract nouns and their usages and examples.

An abstract noun is a concept that one cannot perceive with our five senses. It represents intangible ideas rather than objects that have a physical presence. Abstract nouns represent an idea, emotion, quality and sometimes even an event. They exist within the mind. Since there are no physical frames of reference, it is difficult to contain abstract nouns in grammar rules.

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Some examples are in the table below.

Type of Abstract Noun	Examples
Quality	·         Fairness ·         Courage ·         Kindness ·         Compassion ·         Honesty
State of being	·         Freedom ·         Splendor ·         Optimism ·         Misery ·         Agitation
Feelings	·         Pleasure ·         Fear ·         Sick ·         Sympathy ·         Hurt
Emotions	·         Happiness ·         Grief ·         Indifference ·         Rage ·         Love
Events	·         Life ·         Present ·         Death ·         Marriage ·         Birth
Concepts	·         Cubism ·         Relativity ·         Socialism ·         Meritocracy ·         Feminism
Ideas	·         Humor ·         Honor ·         Morality ·         Democracy ·         Belief

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Abstract Nouns vs Concrete Nouns

The differences between abstract nouns and concrete nouns have to be studied deeply. But there is an easy way to differentiate them. If we can experience it using our five senses, they are concrete nouns. If that is not possible, then it is an abstract noun. The table below lists some examples of both nouns.

Abstract Noun	Concrete Noun
Anger	Cat
Pain	Wool
Pleasure	Paper
Happiness	Shoe
Sympathy	Pants
Life	Table

There are a few other things that you have to keep in mind while making this differentiation. Proper nouns are always concrete nouns as they are specific and tangible. But ideas derived from a proper noun are always abstract.

• Karl Marx- Concrete noun
• Marxism- Abstract noun

Similarly, an exact differentiation is sometimes not possible in their case. It could be ambiguous in some cases. For example, the word laughter, which is said to be an abstract noun, can be heard. And this would make it a concrete noun. The same applies to the words like ‘work’. We cannot sense it. But their result can be. We should understand that the distinction between abstract nouns and concrete nouns is unclear and heavily dependent on factors like context and the classifier’s definition of perceivable.

Countable and Uncountable Abstract Nouns

An abstract noun can be countable or uncountable depending on its usage. If an abstract noun has a broad or general meaning and represents all events then it is uncountable. But when it is used to mention a specific incident then they behave like a countable noun.

• Countable abstract noun: Time flies when you’re having fun.
• Uncountable abstract noun: The time I spend with you lasts forever.

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Forming Abstract Nouns with Suffixes

We can form an abstract noun by taking a verb, adjective or even concrete noun as a root word and adding a suffix to it. Consider the examples given under the titles below.

Converting Verbs to Abstract Nouns

The list given below shows some verbs and corresponding abstract nouns.

Verb	Abstract nouns
Determine	Determination
Decide	Decision
Resist	Resistance
Perceive	Perception
Appoint	Appointment
Inform	Information
Enjoy	Enjoyment

Converting Adjectives to Abstract Nouns

The list given below shows some adjectives and corresponding abstract nouns.

Adjective	Abstract noun
Silent	Silence
Brave	Bravery
Sad	Sadness
Honest	Honesty
Independent	Independence
Responsible	Responsibility
Free	Freedom

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Usage of Abstract Nouns

These points should be kept in mind while using abstract nouns.

• The rules that apply to other nouns apply to them as well.
• They can work as subjects as well as objects.
• They follow the capitalization rule
• They can take possessive forms
• They can be singular or plural. (But we have to distinguish whether they are countable or uncountable first.
• They are perfect in contexts like philosophical, existential, and ideological conversations.
• It is also ideal to use them in conversations regarding emotions and feelings.
• A sentence using abstract nouns should also contain concrete nouns to ground the concept in reality.

They tend to deviate from the traditional meaning of the word noun. But always keep in mind that abstract nouns and concrete nouns are identified based on their meaning rather than grammatical function. Grammatically they work the same in most cases.

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FAQ

1. What is an abstract noun?

They are words that are considered a noun but cannot be perceived by touch, smell, vision, hearing or taste.

1. Give a few examples of abstract nouns.

A few examples are freedom, Splendor, Optimism, Misery, Agitation etc.

In English grammar, an abstract noun is a noun or noun phrase that names an idea, event, quality, or concept—for example, courage, freedom, progress, love, patience, excellence, and friendship. An abstract noun names something that can’t be physically touched. Contrast that with a concrete noun.

According to «A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language,» abstract nouns are «typically non-observable and nonmeasurable.” But, as James Hurford explains, the distinction between abstract nouns and other common nouns «is relatively unimportant, as far as grammar is concerned.» An example of abstract nouns used in a sentence is, «Silence can be a source of great strength.» Here, «silence» and «strength» are abstract nouns because they name an idea and quality, respectively.

Examples and Observations

In the following examples, the abstract noun is listed in italics type.

«Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.»
– Robert Frost

«Men say they love independence in a woman, but they don’t waste a second demolishing it brick by brick.»

– Candice Bergen, quoted by Catherine Breslin in «The Mistress Condition.» Dutton, 1976

«Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.»
– Erich Fromm

«More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly.»
– Woody Allen, «My Speech to the Graduates.» The New York Times, 1979

«When love is gone, there’s always justice.
And when justice is gone, there’s always force.
And when force is gone, there’s always Mom.
Hi, Mom!»
– Laurie Anderson, «O Superman.» 1981

«Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.»

– Bertrand Russell, «An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish.» «Unpopular Essays.» Simon & Schuster Inc., 1950

«Her face, which was long and dark chocolate brown, had a thin sheet of sadness over it, as light but as permanent as the viewing gauze on a coffin.»
– Maya Angelou, «I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.» Random House, 1969

The Nature of Abstract Nouns

«Abstract and concrete are usually defined together or in terms of each other. The abstract is that which exists only in our minds, that which we cannot know through our senses. It includes qualities, relationships, conditions, ideas, theories, states of being, fields of inquiry and the like. We cannot know a quality such as consistency directly through our senses; we can only see or hear about people acting in ways that we come to label consistent.»

– William Vande Kopple, «Clear and Coherent Prose.» Scott Foresman & Co., 1989

Countable and Uncountable Abstract Nouns

«Although abstract nouns tend to be uncountable (courage, happiness, news, tennis, training), many are countable (an hour, a joke, a quantity). Others can be both, often with shifts of meaning from general to particular (great kindness/many kindnesses).»

– Tom McArthur, «Abstract and Concrete.» «The Oxford Companion to the English Language.» Oxford University Press, 1992

Inflection of Abstract Nouns

«[M]any abstract nouns are generally not inflected for number (lucks, nauseas) or they do not occur in the possessive (the commitment’s time).»

– M. Lynne Murphy and Anu Koskela, «Key Terms in Semantics.» Continuum, 2010

The Grammatical Unimportance of Abstract Nouns

«[R]ecognizing abstract nouns is relatively unimportant, as far as grammar is concerned. This is because there are few, if any, particular grammatical properties that affect just the set of abstract nouns. … One suspects that the reason for the recurrent mention of abstract nouns is the clash between their (abstract) meanings and the traditional definition of a noun as the ‘name of a person, place or thing.’ The existence of obvious nouns such as liberty, action, sin and time is a sore embarrassment to such a definition, and the pragmatic response has been to apply a distinctive label to the problematic words.»

– James R. Hurford, «Grammar: A Student’s Guide.» Cambridge University Press, 1994

The Lighter Side of Abstract Nouns

» ‘It represents Discipline,’ said Mr. Etherege. … ‘And to the uninstructed mind, Uniformity.’ His abstract nouns were audibly furnished with capital letters. ‘But the latter notion is fallacious.’

» ‘No doubt,’ said Fen. He perceived that this incipient homily required punctuation rather than argument.

» ‘Fallacious,’ Mr. Etherege proceeded, ‘because the attempt to produce Uniformity inevitably accentuates Eccentricity. It makes Eccentricity, as it were, safe.’ »

– Bruce Montgomery [aka Edmund Crispin], «Love Lies Bleeding.» Vintage, 1948

There are many things in the world that do not have any physical form and you cannot feel them through your five senses. For example, “Clever”. It has no physical form and you cannot even feel it through your five senses. But this is the name of human quality. This is called an abstract noun. In this post, you can read all about abstract nouns such as meaning, definition, formation, and examples of abstract nouns.

What is Abstract Noun?

An abstract noun is a noun that refers to the name of things that do not have a physical form and you cannot feel through your 5 senses.

Some points to understand the meaning of the abstract noun:

1. The abstract noun has no physical form: It refers to intangible things such as ideas, concepts, or emotions.
2. You cannot feel them with your 5 senses: As you have read in Concrete Nouns that those you can feel with your five senses are called Concrete Nouns. Five senses i.e. seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, or touching. But there are many things that you cannot feel with these five senses. Such as destiny. You can’t touch it, you can’t see it, you can’t taste it, you can’t hear it, and you can’t even smell it. But it is the name of a belief that we think will happen in the future. So, destiny is an abstract noun.
3. Abstract nouns refer to the names of the things only: According to the definition of a noun, a noun is a name that refers to the name of a person, animal, place, or thing. But you can feel the person, animal, or place with your 5 senses. Therefore these cannot be abstract nouns. But many such names come under things that do not exist. Just like any idea, concept, or emotion. That’s why abstract nouns are just the names of things.

Abstract Noun Examples

As we read above, an abstract noun does not have any physical form and it is the name of any ideas, concepts, or emotions. So here we will see examples of ideas, concepts, and emotions that will help to understand abstract nouns.

Ideas: Inspiration, death, life, trust, friendship, wisdom, knowledge, thought, sacrifice, failure, success, honor, information, humor, independence, communication, pleasure, etc.

Philosophical Concepts: Atman, avatar, beauty, boredom, choice, experience, dharma, duty, fact, friendship, happiness, identity, infinity, intention, karma, logic, love, moksha, mercy, name, peace, principle, etc.

Feelings or emotions: sadness, joy, disgust, surprise, trust, boredom, calmness, confusion, excitement, fear, horror, interest, joy, romance, sadness, satisfaction, surprise, anger, etc.

Beliefs: Dharma, moksha, God, atman, avatar, duty, life, death, truth, etc.

Formation of Abstract Nouns

There are many abstract nouns that can be formed from verbs, adjectives, and concrete nouns by adding suffixes to root words. For example, reflect is a verb, if you add the suffix “ion” it becomes “reflection” and is an abstract noun. Similarly, calm is an adjective, if you add “ness” it becomes “calmness”.

There are some words that change completely when they become abstract nouns. The abstract noun calmness is the mix of “calm” + “ness” but the abstract noun “choice” is from the verb “choose”.

Here are some examples of abstract nouns that are created from words by changing the words completely.

Abstract Nouns	Words
thought	think
sight	see
strength	strong
decision	decide
union	unite
motion	move
life	live

Let’s see some examples and understand how an abstract noun is formed from a verb, adjective, and concrete noun.

Formation of Abstract Nouns from Verbs

1. expectation = expect + ation
2. information = inform + ation
3. laughter = laugh + ter
4. assignment = assign + ment
5. invention = invent + ion
6. determination = determin + ation
7. action = act + ion
8. appearance = appear + ance
9. protection = protect + ion
10. movement = move + ment
11. punishment = punish + ment
12. acceptance = accept + ance
13. amusement = amuse + ment
14. attraction = attract + ion
15. blessing = bless + ing
16. cleanliness = clean + liness
17. collection = collect + ion

Formation of Abstract Nouns from Adjectives

Adjectives	Abstract Nouns
Abundant	Abundance
Adventurous	Adventure
Anxious	Anxiety
Beautiful	Beauty
Brave	Bravery
Calm	Calmness
Curious	Curiosity
Comfortable	Comfort
Courageous	Courage
Different	Difference
Excellent	Excellence
Great	Greatness
Innocent	Innocence
Important	Importance
Nervous	Nervousness
Proud	Pride
Real	Reality

Formation of Abstract Nouns from Concrete Nouns

Concrete Nouns	Abstract Nouns
leader	leadership
neighbor	neighborhood
scholar	scholarship
man	manhood
child	childhood
friend	friendship
father	fatherhood
owner	ownership
member	membership
man	mankind
hero	heroism
scholar	scholarship

Examples of Abstract Nouns in Sentences

1. I have ownership of this vehicle.
2. Friendship is one of those things which give value to survival.
3. Life is a reality to be experienced.
4. The importance of education is highest for everyone.
5. Excellence can be achieved by continuous work.
6. Courage is the most important of all.
7. There is beauty in everyone’s heart in this world.
8. Courage is key to your protection.
9. Your decision makes everything perfect.
10. Everyone’s life is not the same.
11. Your thought defines personality.
12. You have some duties towards your society.
13. Experience is the best teacher for us.
14. You can achieve success through hard work.
15. You can learn from your failure, not from your success.
16. The truth is never simple for anyone.

An abstract noun is a kind of noun which represents ideas, things, and experiences. It is an important part of Nouns. It is an important topic for all students, especially for those who are preparing for competitive examinations. One or more questions from this topic are asked in every competitive examination. 

What is Abstract Noun

In general, nouns refer to ideas, places, things, objects and people. Some ideas or things are not touchable. They do not exist physically and you can not sense them with your five senses. This type of Noun is known as Abstract Noun. It is intangible. 

Abstract Noun Definition

Nouns that can not be tangible or touchable are called Abstract Nouns. Abstract nouns are kinds of ideas, things, and experiences that are invisible, and untouchables. 

Abstract Noun Examples

Love, life, death, pain, trust, honor, pleasure, sadness, madness, fear, happiness, loyalty, stupidity, weakness, maturity, ethics etc. 

List of Abstract Nouns

Ideas : Life, death, pleasure, independence, information, trust 

Emotion : Love, hatred, happiness, sadness, fear. 

Traits : Courage, loyalty, maturity, stupidity, elegance, aggression, patience.

Philosophical Concepts: Relativity, democracy, industrialism, ethics, capitalism. 

Uses of Abstract Nouns in a Sentence

Abstract nouns work as subjects as well as objects perfectly in a sentence. It follows the same rules as the other nouns. Abstract nouns can also take a possessive form. It can be singular or plural. 

Abstract Nouns vs Concrete Nouns 

Both Abstract nouns and concrete nouns are types of Nouns. There are some differences between these two nouns. Here we discussed these differences. 

Abstract Nouns	Concrete Nouns
It can not taste, see, smell or touch.	It can taste, see, smell or touch.
As an example, Love is an abstract noun because it can not be touched or seen.	As an example, Boy is a concrete noun because it can be touched or seen.

Verbs and Adjectives Conversion into Abstract Nouns 

Abstract nouns can be created from verbs and adjectives by taking the root word and adding a suffix or prefix. 

Converting Verbs to Abstract Nouns

Move ⇒ movement

Enjoy ⇒ enjoyment

Appoint ⇒ Appointment 

Decide ⇒ decision

Assign ⇒ assignment

Describe ⇒ description

Resist ⇒ resistance

Converting Adjectives to Abstract Nouns

Brave ⇒ bravery

Truth ⇒ truthful

Honest ⇒ honesty

Weak ⇒ weakness 

Sad ⇒ sadness

Mad ⇒ madness

Possible ⇒ possibility 

Silent ⇒ silence

Practice Questions on Abstract Nouns

Read the sentences carefully and identify the abstract nouns given below. 

1. Honesty is the best policy. 

2. Friendship is a valuable thing. 

3. Please keep silence. 

4. You take the right decision. 

5. Madness makes you crazy. 

6. Love makes a man perfect. 

7. Kindness is a great quality of a man. 

8. This is our first victory. 

9. Achievement provides pleasure. 

10. The army showed great courage on the battlefield. 

Answer  

1. Honesty

2. Friendship

3. Silence 

4. Decision

5. Madness 

6. Love 

7. Kindness 

8. Victory

9. Pleasure 

10. Courage 

FAQ’S

Que 1. What is an abstract noun? 

In general, nouns refer to ideas, places, things, objects and people. Some ideas or things are not touchable. It do not exist physically and you can not sense them with your five senses. This type of noun is known as Abstract Noun. It is intangible.  

Que 2. Give some examples of abstract nouns. 

1. Honesty

2. Friendship

3. Silence

4. Decision

5. Madness

6. Love

7. Kindness

8. Victory

9. Pleasure

10. Courage 

Que 3. Give some examples of abstract nouns in sentences. 

1. Honesty is the best policy.

2. Friendship is a valuable thing.

3. Please keep silence.

4. You take the right decision.

5. Madness makes you crazy.

6. Love makes a man perfect.

7. Kindness is a great quality of a man.

8. This is our first victory.

9. Achievement provides pleasure.

10. The army showed great courage in the battlefield. 

Abstract noun definition: a noun that has no physical existence.

Concrete noun definition: a noun that is perceptible to at least one of the five senses.

What is the Difference Between Abstract Nouns and Concrete Nouns?

The English language is build by various parts of speech. One of its basic parts of speech is the noun. A noun is a defined as a person, place, thing, or idea.

Nouns can be classified into many groups, common and proper, count and non-count, etc. Today, we are going to talk about two different classes of nouns: abstract and concrete nouns.

Before we get into too much detail, let’s briefly note the difference between concrete and abstract nouns.

• Abstract nouns are not tangible.
• Concrete nouns are tangible.

What Is an Abstract Noun?

What are abstract nouns? Abstracts nouns are not tangible and have no physical existence. Instead, they represent concepts or ideas.

While we made see the effects of these nouns, we cannot see the ideas themselves.

Here are some examples of abstract nouns,

• Courage
• Bravery
• Happiness
• Dream
• Belief
• Faith
• Idea
• Depression
• Loyalty
• Poverty
• Intelligence
• Freedom
• Commitment
• Trust
• Sadness

Next, let’s look at how these nouns may be used in a sentence.

• Rosa Parks showed her bravery by protesting against racial discrimination.
  • Bravery = abstract noun.

• The happiness of the children was evident through their roaring laughter at recess.
  • Happiness = abstract noun

Identifying Abstract Nouns as Nouns

At times, abstract nouns may be difficult to identify because they can be confused as adjectives.

Here are some clues to verify that the word in question is indeed a noun, specifically an abstract noun, and not an adjective.

• Prepositions: if the abstract noun in question is in a prepositional phrase, you can verify that is a noun.
  • When we were younger, we lived in poverty.
    • Poverty is within a prepositional phrase: in poverty; therefore, we can verify it is a noun.

• Articles: if the abstract noun in question immediately follows an article (a, an or the), you can verify that it is a noun.
  • The happiness of the children was evident through their roaring laughter at recess.
    • Happiness follows the article the, so it is a noun.

• Replacement: check to see if you can replace the noun in question with a concrete noun.
  • When we were younger, we lived in poverty.
    • We could replace poverty with a concrete noun.
      • When we were younger, we lived in a house.
    • By replacing poverty with house, we have verified that poverty is indeed a noun.

What is a Concrete Noun?

What are concrete nouns? Unlike abstract nouns, concrete nouns are tangible and can be perceived by the five senses. We often think of these as being people, places, and objects.

Here are some examples of concrete nouns,

• House
• Tree
• Pencil
• Cookbook
• Airplane
• Chair
• Teacher
• Television
• Ball
• Shoe
• Desk
• Computer
• Jeans
• Water
• Paper

Next, let’s look at how these nouns may be used in a sentence.

• Christina went to the store to buy a new computer.
  • Christina= Person
  • Store = Place
  • Computer = Object

Exercises with Abstract, Concrete Nouns

Here are some sentences that include abstract and concrete nouns. Try to identify each noun and whether it is abstract or concrete.

1. The students silently studied for the test.
2. Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. were famous advocates for equality.
3. Freedom is one of America’s core values.

See answers below.

Summary

Define abstract noun: the definition of abstract noun is an intangible noun with no physical presence, such as a concept or idea.

Define concrete noun: the definition of concrete noun is a tangible noun that can be perceived by the five senses.

In summary,

• Abstract nouns represent ideas or concepts that are not tangible.
• Concrete nouns are tangible such as people, places or objects.

Remembering these definitions and using the above tips will help you identify these nouns in your future writing and reading.

Answers

1. Concrete nouns = students, test. No abstract nouns.
2. Concrete nouns = Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., advocates. Abstract noun = equality.
3. Concrete noun = America. Abstract nouns = Freedom, values.

Contents

• 1 What is the Difference Between Abstract Nouns and Concrete Nouns?
• 2 What Is an Abstract Noun?
• 3 Identifying Abstract Nouns as Nouns
• 4 What is a Concrete Noun?
• 5 Exercises with Abstract, Concrete Nouns
• 6 Summary

Published on
February 25, 2023
by

Jack Caulfield.

An abstract noun is a noun that refers to something non-physical—something conceptual that you can’t perceive directly with your senses. Examples include “sadness,” “analysis,” “government,” and “adulthood.”

Abstract nouns are contrasted with concrete nouns, which are words like “cat,” “desk,” or “Andrew” that refer to physical objects and entities.

Family is important to me.

The passage of time isn’t easy to perceive.

The article derides the quality of popular music. The author’s snobbishness is plain to see.

Table of contents

1. Abstract nouns vs. concrete nouns
2. Abstract noun examples
3. Formation of abstract nouns
4. Worksheet: Concrete vs. abstract nouns
5. Other interesting language articles
6. Frequently asked questions

Abstract nouns vs. concrete nouns

Abstract nouns differ from concrete nouns in terms of what they describe:

• Abstract nouns refer to anything that isn’t directly observable. That could mean personal qualities, measurements of time, cultural movements, or concepts.
• Concrete nouns refer to what can be perceived with the senses: things, people, animals, and places.

She expressed her disapproval of his comments with a frown.

John expressed his opinion on the subject clearly and forcefully.

The same word could often be interpreted as abstract or concrete depending on your perspective and on the context in which it is used. The distinction is often very subjective.

Music brings people together.

The music playing in the next room prevented her from sleeping.

There’s no grammatical difference in the ways concrete and abstract nouns are used. The point is just to show the different kinds of things that nouns can refer to. The categories are quite subjective and are usually ignored by language authorities (e.g., dictionaries).

Abstract noun examples

Abstract nouns represent a wide variety of things—anything that isn’t represented by a concrete noun, in fact. The table below explores a few different categories of things that abstract nouns can refer to.

Examples of abstract nouns

Personal qualities and emotions	happiness, exhaustion, callousness, nostalgia, presumptuousness, loquacity, anger, love, charisma
Time designations	Tuesday, hours, the 1980s, centuries, midnight, yesterday, the future
States of being	solidity, chaos, peace, vacancy, impermanence, presence, activation, existence
Cultural/political/social/religious movements	Romanticism, feminism, modernism, conservatism, republicanism, Marxism, environmentalism, Christianity, Buddhism
Philosophical and academic concepts	pathos, beauty, possibility, freedom, ethics, ontology, anachronism

Abstract nouns (and concrete nouns) can always be more technically classified as some other type of noun: plural or singular, common noun, proper noun, countable or uncountable, collective noun, etc.

Formation of abstract nouns

A lot (though not all) of the examples given in the previous section followed a few specific patterns in terms of the suffixes they ended with (e.g., “-ness,” “-ism”).

This is because abstract nouns are formed from adjectives, verbs, and other nouns in a number of standard ways. Common ways of forming abstract nouns are shown in the table below.

Suffixes that form abstract nouns

Suffix	Root words	Abstract nouns
-al	recite, deny, propose, bestow	recital, denial, proposal, bestowal
-ance	appear, resist, perform, ally	appearance, resistance, performance, alliance
-ation	relax, flirt, color, realize	relaxation, flirtation, coloration, realization
-ence	subsist, exist, depend, refer	subsistence, existence, dependence, reference
-hood	nation, child, mother, false	nationhood, childhood, motherhood, falsehood
-ion	indicate, relate, hydrate, equate	indication, relation, hydration, equation
-ism	parallel, liberal, lyric, critic	parallelism, liberalism, lyricism, criticism
-ity	Christian, generous, dense, historic	Christianity, generosity, density, historicity
-ment	judge, amaze, base, pave	judgment, amazement, basement, pavement
-ness	petty, sad, dark, one	pettiness, sadness, darkness, oneness
-ship	owner, friend, fellow, reader	ownership, friendship, fellowship, readership

Not all abstract nouns are formed in these ways (e.g., “anger” isn’t), but nouns formed in these ways are usually considered abstract.

Worksheet: Concrete vs. abstract nouns

Want to test your understanding of the difference between concrete and abstract nouns? Try the worksheet below. Just decide whether each highlighted noun is concrete or abstract.

1. The dog seemed to enjoy its dinner.
2. The price of adhering to one’s principles can be high.
3. The name of my cat is Whiskers.
4. The foundations of the house have begun to sink due to a lack of maintenance.
5. My neighbor John has some questionable ideas about politics.

1. The dog seemed to enjoy its dinner.
   • Both “dog” and “dinner” are concrete nouns, since they represent physical entities in the world.

1. The price of adhering to one’s principles is sometimes high.
   • “Price” and “principles” are both abstract nouns because you can’t touch or see a principle or a price (although you might see something representing a price, so a noun like “price tag” would be considered concrete).

1. The name of my cat is Whiskers.
   • The concept of a name is abstract. “Cat” is a concrete noun because a cat is a physical being. “Whiskers” is concrete whether you take it to mean the speaker’s cat or simply the word “Whiskers” in its use as a name—both of these can be perceived with the senses.

1. The foundations of the house have begun to sink due to a lack of maintenance.
   • “Foundations” and “house” both represent specific physical things and are therefore concrete nouns. “Lack” and “maintenance” are both more conceptual and are therefore abstract.

1. My neighbor John has some questionable ideas about politics.
   • Both the common noun “neighbor” and the proper noun “John” (here used as an appositive) are concrete nouns, since they refer to people. “Ideas” and “politics” are both abstract because they refer to concepts rather than physical things.

Other interesting language articles

If you want to know more about commonly confused words, definitions, common mistakes, and differences between US and UK spellings, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

Verbs

• Verb tenses
• Phrasal verbs
• Sentence structure
• Active vs passive voice
• Subject-verb agreement

Other

• Articles
• Interjections
• Adjectives
• Determiners
• Prepositions

Frequently asked questions

What is an abstract noun?

An abstract noun is a noun describing something that can’t be directly perceived with the senses.

Abstract nouns may refer to general or philosophical concepts (e.g., “art,” “democracy,” “evidence”), emotions and personal qualities (e.g., “happiness,” “impatience”), time measurements (e.g., “hours,” “January”), or states of being (e.g., “solidity,” “instability”).

Abstract nouns are the opposite of concrete nouns, which refer to physical things that can be perceived with the senses: objects, substances, places, people and animals, and so on. For example, “window,” “Dorian,” and “sand.”

What is a concrete noun?

A concrete noun is a noun describing a physical entity that can be perceived with the senses. Concrete nouns may refer to things (e.g., “phone,” “hat”), places (e.g., “France,” “the post office”), or people and animals (e.g., “dog,” “doctor,” “Jamal”).

Concrete nouns are contrasted with abstract nouns, which refer to things that can’t be directly perceived—ideas, theories, concepts, and so on. Examples include “happiness,” “condemnation,” “ethics,” and “time.”

Sources in this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

This Scribbr article

Caulfield, J.
(2023, February 25). Abstract Noun | Definition, Examples & Worksheet. Scribbr.
Retrieved April 13, 2023,
from https://www.scribbr.com/nouns-and-pronouns/abstract-noun/

Sources

Aarts, B. (2011). Oxford modern English grammar. Oxford University Press.

Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015). Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Show all sources (3)

Garner, B. A. (2016). Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

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Nouns are a priority in English grammar. We use nouns every day, and every time, even when we don’t realize it.

Nouns are a general representation of a class of people, objects, or animals. It can be both a living and a non-living thing. However, it is important to know that nouns can be classified in several ways. One of them is concrete and abstract nouns.

Today we will focus on abstract nouns and learn their usage. In a general sense, abstract nouns are nouns that represent things that do not physically exist. Let us discuss further to know its rules and concept.

Abstract nouns: definition and usage

Abstract nouns are generally words used to represent something that does not actually exist. They are things that can neither be seen nor touched. They have no actual representation in the physical world.

In short, abstract nouns are nouns that represent ideas, traits, emotions, or any concepts that are philosophical in nature.

Let us look at some examples;

• Love, hate, happiness, anger
• Life, trust, pain, pleasure
• Democracy, capitalism, socialism

We see these things do not have a physical body. They are just abstract concepts. That is exactly why they are called abstract nouns.

Difference between abstract noun and concrete noun

To make it easier and clearer, let us learn how to recognize an abstract noun and differentiate it from the other classification, namely concrete noun.

When we use abstract nouns, we deal with things we cannot see, touch, smell, or hear. They are things you can only imagine or are abstract in nature. Now, if you refer to something that has a physical body that can be touched or seen, that thing can be in no way an abstract noun. And we need to realize that those are concrete nouns.

Let us make it easier with some examples;

I am angry because he broke my glass.

Here, we have two words that we need to focus on. The first word angry, cannot be touched, seen, or heard. So we know it’s an abstract noun. When we talk about glass, we can see it and touch it. Which means it’s a concrete noun.

Another example can be with a proper noun. When we are talking about an ideology given by a leader. For instance, non-violence by Gandhi. Here, Gandhi is a proper noun. But non-violence is an abstract noun. Proper nouns can never be abstract nouns.

Use of Abstract nouns

We generally use abstract nouns to deliver our emotions and ideas. One important thing to note is the countable and uncountable use of abstract nouns. Abstract nouns can be both, but that depends on the situation.

If we refer to something basic and broad, abstract nouns will always be uncountable.

Some basic examples with sentences;

• I was so happy to see him.
• You have to be loyal.

But if we are referring to something specific, abstract nouns can be countable. It is then put to use with articles a, an, and the.

For example;

• I know about a success story that I can refer to.
• The time I had was not enough.
• A happy man is a successful man.

So we see it is quite simple to recognize what is an abstract noun. However, it can get tricky if you do not follow the rules.

Definition of Abstract Noun

Abstract noun can be defined as “a noun denoting an idea, quality, or state rather than a concrete object.”

OR,

“An abstract noun refers to states, events, concepts, feelings, qualities, etc., that have no physical existence.”

Abstract noun is the noun which exists in our mind only and we cannot recognize them through our senses such as relationships, qualities, ideas, theories, freedom, idea, happiness, music, conditions, states of being, fields of inquiry, like, etc.

Abstract noun is a noun which names things that are not concrete (means do not have physical existence) and cannot be detected through sense organs. We cannot taste, see, smell, hear it, or touch them. Abstract nouns can be countable (such as a joke, an hour, a noise, a meeting, a quantity) and uncountable (such as fear, courage, news, happiness, training, etc).

Abstract nouns can be experienced in our every day life in various situations such as love, anger, fear, joy, excitement (including other emotions), courage, cowardice, bravery (including other states), desire, uncertainty, creativity (including other innate feelings), etc.

How to Use It in the Sentence

Here are some sentences having abstract noun which help you to understand the use of abstract noun in the sentence:

• It is not true that a judge always give right justice.
• India got freedom from British rule in 1947.
• Every year on 15^th of August, a bravery award is given to Indian people by the prime minister.
• Love is an uncontrollable desire.
• My determination is to get higher education.
• Freedom fighters have sacrificed their lives during Independence of India.
• Weekends are the source of great joy for children.
• Greenery in the environment is natural beauty.

Categorized Examples

We have provided below various examples of common abstract nouns under different categories such as:

Common abstract nouns showing emotions or feelings: adoration, amazement, apprehension, clarity, anger, anxiety, delight, disbelief, excitement, fascination, despair, disappointment, friendship, grief, hate, happiness, helpfulness, misery, love, joy, pleasure, helplessness, infatuation, pain, power, relaxation, pride, satisfaction, romance, sorrow, silliness, relief, sadness, tiredness, weariness, worry, strength, surprise, peace, sympathy, wariness, uncertainty, etc.

Common abstract nouns showing human qualities and characteristics: beauty, evil, ego, envy, elegance, enthusiasm, bravery, calm, coldness, courage, charity, curiosity, dedication, brilliance, brutality, compassion, determination, contentment, confidence, fear, honesty, generosity, honor, goodness, graciousness, hatred, humor, humility, hope, insanity, jealousy, loyalty, kindness, maturity, integrity, intelligence, patience, perseverance, tolerance, sophistication, sensitivity, sympathy, stupidity, sanity, self-control, success, deceit, skill, beauty, pain, brilliance, misery, talent, weakness, warmth, wisdom, trust, wit, etc.

Common abstract nouns showing movements or events: progress, trouble, education, friendship, leisure, hospitality, relaxation, etc.

Other examples of common abstract nouns: communication, ability, awe, chaos, adventure, artistry, belief, comfort, consideration, death, defeat, crime, culture, customer service, deceit, democracy, dexterity, dreams, disquiet, disturbance, dictatorship, energy, failure, faithfulness, faithlessness, enhancement, faith, frailty, fragility, forgiveness, favoritism, hearsay, grace, freedom, gossip, hurt, homelessness, idea, impression, imagination, idiosyncrasy, improvement, knowledge, information, inflation, justice, laughter, luxury, law, liberty, luck, loss, motivation, life, movement, memory, mercy, need, parenthood, patriotism, opportunism, opinion, omen, opportunity, peace, principle, poverty, peculiarity, reality, redemption, refreshment, slavery, shock, riches, service, rumor, skill, sleep, sparkle, speculation, speed, thought, submission, strictness, success, unemployment, thrill, truth, unreality, wealth, victory, etc.

How to Derive Abstract Noun

Here you can learn about how to get abstract nouns from nouns, verbs or adjectives by adding some suffix at the end of words. Words given in the bracket are abstract nouns.

Derive abstract noun from noun: brother (brotherhood), mother (motherhood), child (childhood), member (membership), man (manhood), friend (friendship), king (kingship), scholar (scholarship), neighbor (neighborhood), leader (leadership), etc.

Derive abstract noun from adjective: able (ability), kind (kindness), wide (width), angry (anger), unique (uniqueness), long (length), great (greatness), beautiful (beauty), brave (bravery), different (difference), strong (strength), thirsty (thirst), new (newness), honest (honesty), envious (envy), weak (weakness), happy (happiness), hungry (hunger), wise (wisdom), difficult (difficulty), etc.

Derive abstract noun from verb: act (action), speak (speech), know (knowledge), die (death), appear (appearance), behave (behavior), lose (loss), please (pleasure), think (thought), believe (belief), invite (invitation), marry (marriage), do (deed), permit (permission), employ (employment), refuse (refusal), free (freedom), sell (sale), grow (growth), judge (judgement), treat (treatment), laugh (laughter), etc.

Exercises

1 )Abstract Nouns Exercises for You

We have provided below some abstract noun exercises in order to help you to enhance your skill and knowledge about abstract noun. You need to get detail information about abstract noun provided above and check your skill through following exercises. Select correct abstract nouns from following sentences and match with the given answer to be sure:

1. Adoration cheers up common people and helps to go ahead.
2. Apprehension is not good for health.
3. There should be clarity to avoid any misunderstanding.
4. Anger makes people stressed and fatigue.
5. My mom’s weakness is the reason of anxiety for me.
6. It keeps my parents delight when I got first rank in the class test.
7. Excitement and interest are very necessary things to complete any work.
8. Irregular daily routine brings disappointment to me.
9. True friendship is an effective tool to go ahead in positive way.
10. I hate bad and lazy people as they never want to work.
11. Happiness comes to our heart and soul when we help someone needy.
12. I love my parents and grandparents as they care me a lot.
13. Helping others is the real joy of life.
14. Today, I am feeling very helplessness as no one is there for me.
15. Lots of pain make us a real human being.
16. Power and money brings lots of responsibilities as well.
17. Sleeping at right time gives us complete mind and body relaxation.
18. The condition of poor people makes me really sorrow.
19. Eating medicines gives me relief from infection.
20. I have much weakness which makes me tired and fatigue.
21. Do not worry, everything will be fine soon.
22. I worship to God daily which gives me strength.
23. I will surprise my mom as today is her birthday.
24. We should give patients sympathy so that they can get well soon.
25. There is some uncertainty in the final exam date.

Answers: 1 – Adoration, 2 – Apprehension, 3 – clarity, 4 – Anger, 5 – anxiety, 6 – delight, 7 – Excitement, 8 – disappointment, 9 – friendship, 10 – hate, 11 – Happiness, 12 – love, 13 – joy, 14 – helplessness, 15 – pain, 16 – Power, 17 – relaxation, 18 – sorrow, 19 – relief, 20 – weakness, 21 – worry, 22 – strength, 23 – surprise, 24 – sympathy, 25 – uncertainty

2) Abstract Nouns Exercises for You

We have provided below some words, you need to make abstract noun using following words:

1. Bitter: …..
2. Strong: …..
3. Wide: …..
4. Decent: …..
5. Humble: …..
6. Long: …..
7. Vacant: …..
8. Cruel: …..
9. Young: …..
10. Sweet: …..
11. Prudent: …..
12. Dark: …..
13. Wise: …..
14. Good: …..
15. Brave: …..
16. Vain: …..
17. Human: …..
18. able: …..
19. great: …..
20. child: …..
21. please: …..
22. treat: …..
23. brother: …..
24. scholar: …..
25. leader: …..
26. speak: …..
27. think: …..
28. marry: …..
29. laugh: …..
30. honest: …..
31. Ignorant: …..
32. Proud: …..
33. Free: …..
34. Novel: …..
35. Sane: …..
36. Just: …..
37. Poor: …..

Answer: bitterness, strength, width, decency, humility, length, vacancy, cruelty, youth, sweetness, prudence, darkness, wisdom, goodness, bravery, vanity, humanity, ability, greatness, childhood, pleasure, treatment, brotherhood, scholarship, leadership, speech, thought, marriage, laughter, honesty, ignorance, pride, freedom, novelty, sanity, justice, poverty.

Related Topics:

Noun
Proper Noun
Common Noun
Compound Noun
Countable Noun
Uncountable Noun
Collective Noun
Possessive Noun
Concrete Noun
Singular Noun
Plural Noun