Abstracted

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /əbˈstɹæk.tɪd/

Definitions

1. Being deeply lost in thought and distracted from surroundings ; showing poor attention due to mental distraction
2. Mentally removed from the immediate environment, appearing preoccupied ; displaying inattentiveness or absent-minded behavior
3. Focused inwardly on ideas rather than external reality ; lacking full concentration on present tasks or environment

Etymology: Abstracted began as a past-tense and participle form of the verb "abstract," which came into English from Latin "abstractus," the past participle of "abstrahere," meaning "to draw away." That Latin verb combined "abs-" (away, from) with "trahere" (to draw), so the core image is of something being pulled off or separated from its surroundings. The same physical sense of drawing something away lies behind the modern idea of separating a thing from its context in order to consider it on its own. From that notion of mental separation, the adjective grew to describe a person whose attention has been pulled away from the immediate scene, so that they are lost in thought. The sense of being "drawn away" from one's surroundings is literal in its Latin origin, yet in English it shifted inward, from physical removal to a mind withdrawn from the world around it.

Synonyms: distracted, lost, removed, daydreaming, preoccupied

Antonyms: focused, attentive, aware, present, engaged