Abstractable

Abstractable refers to the quality or potential of something to be abstracted. Abstraction, in this context, is the process of identifying and separating the essential qualities or features of something from its specific or concrete instances. An abstractable concept is one that can be generalized or stripped of its particular details to form a more general idea or principle.

For example, the concept of "dog" is abstractable from individual dogs like Fido, Rover, or Lassie. While each dog has unique characteristics, the abstractable concept of "dog" captures shared traits such as being a mammal, having four legs, barking, and being a domesticated canine. This process allows for categorization, understanding, and communication about groups of similar things without needing to refer to every single instance.

In fields like mathematics and computer science, abstractability is fundamental. Mathematical objects are often defined through abstract properties rather than specific examples. Similarly, programming languages allow for the creation of abstract data types and functions, which represent general operations or structures that can be applied to various specific data. The degree to which something can be considered abstractable often depends on the context and the level of detail being considered. Things that are highly specific or unique might be less abstractable than common, recurring patterns.