Ask Difference

Abstract vs. Summary — What's the Difference?

By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 15, 2023
An abstract offers a brief overview of a research paper or study, while a summary provides a condensed version of a longer piece of text. Both aim to distill content, but their uses and contexts vary.
Abstract vs. Summary — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Abstract and Summary

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Key Differences

Abstract and summary are both tools used to condense information, but their functions and the settings in which they're used set them apart. An abstract typically accompanies scholarly articles, reports, or research papers. It offers readers an immediate understanding of the study's scope, methods, and key findings, allowing them to gauge if they should delve into the entire document.
A summary, on the other hand, can pertain to a broader range of content, from books and articles to presentations and movies. It distills the main points or events of the original material, providing an overview that captures the essence without going into exhaustive detail. Unlike the abstract, which is closely tied to academic works, the summary is more versatile.
Within the realm of academic writing, the distinction between an abstract and summary becomes crucial. The abstract is essentially a selling point. When researchers skim through databases, a compelling abstract can entice them to read the full paper. Conversely, a summary can be a tool for study, helping students and professionals grasp the essence of lengthy texts without reading them in their entirety.
Moreover, the length and depth vary between abstracts and summaries. An abstract remains concise, never going beyond a few hundred words, ensuring the reader quickly grasps the study's essence. Summaries, however, can range from a short paragraph to several pages, depending on the length and complexity of the original content.

Comparison Chart

Definition

A concise representation of a research paper's scope, methods, and findings.
A condensed version of a longer piece of text highlighting main points.
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Typical Use

Predominantly in academic and research papers.
Books, articles, presentations, movies, etc.

Length

Strictly concise, often limited to a few hundred words.
Can vary from a paragraph to several pages.

Purpose

To give an immediate understanding of a study, allowing readers to gauge relevance.
To distill main points or events, giving an overview of the content.

Nature

More structured, with specific details about research methods, scope, and results.
More flexible, offering a broader overview without fixed components.

Compare with Definitions

Abstract

A brief overview of a research article or study.
The abstract indicated that the study focused on climate change impacts on marine life.

Summary

A comprehensive yet shortened rendition of content.
The meeting's summary highlighted all the decisions made.

Abstract

A conceptual understanding devoid of particular instances or material objects.
His painting was an abstract representation of his emotions.

Summary

A concise version of a longer piece of information.
The teacher provided a summary of the lecture's main points.

Abstract

A summary of a legal document.
The lawyer provided an abstract of the property deed.

Summary

An encapsulation that omits less important details.
The news channel provided a quick summary of the day's events.

Abstract

Not concrete or related to specific instances.
The concept of love is abstract and varies for each individual.

Summary

A recapitulation of previously stated facts or statements.
After reading the chapter, she wrote a summary for her notes.

Abstract

Theoretical and not physically existing.
The philosopher's ideas were abstract and hard for some to grasp.

Summary

A brief statement mentioning the main points of something
A summary of our findings.

Abstract

Considered apart from concrete existence
An abstract concept.

Summary

Prose that provides information in a condensed format, as by mentioning only the most significant details of a narrative
The novelist did not like writing dialogue and preferred to write stories in summary.

Abstract

Not applied or practical; theoretical.

Summary

Presenting the substance in a condensed form; concise
A summary review.

Abstract

Difficult to understand; abstruse
Abstract philosophical problems.

Summary

Performed speedily and without ceremony
Summary justice.
A summary rejection.

Abstract

Denoting something that is immaterial, conceptual, or nonspecific, as an idea or quality
Abstract words like truth and justice.

Summary

Concise, brief or presented in a condensed form
A summary review is in the appendix.

Abstract

Impersonal, as in attitude or views.

Summary

Performed speedily and without formal ceremony.
They used summary executions to break the resistance of the people.

Abstract

Having an intellectual and affective artistic content that depends solely on intrinsic form rather than on narrative content or pictorial representation
Abstract painting and sculpture.

Summary

(legal) Performed by skipping the procedures of a standard and fair trial.
Summary justice is bad justice.

Abstract

A statement summarizing the important points of a text.

Summary

An abstract or a condensed presentation of the substance of a body of material.
Make a summary of the events

Abstract

Something abstract.

Summary

Formed into a sum; summed up; reduced into a narrow compass, or into few words; short; brief; concise; compendious; as, a summary statement of facts.

Abstract

An abstract of title.

Summary

Hence, rapidly performed; quickly executed; as, a summary process; to take summary vengeance.

Abstract

To take away; remove
Abstract the most important data from a set of records.

Summary

A general or comprehensive statement; an abridged account; an abstract, abridgment, or compendium, containing the sum or substance of a fuller account.

Abstract

To remove without permission; steal
A painting that was abstracted from the museum.

Summary

A briefstatement that presents the main points in a concise form;
He gave a summary of the conclusions

Abstract

To consider (an idea, for example) as separate from particular examples or objects
Abstract a principle of arrangement from a series of items.

Summary

Performed speedily and without formality;
A summary execution
Summary justice

Abstract

(ăbstrăkt′) To write a summary of; summarize
Abstract a long article in a paragraph.

Summary

Briefly giving the gist of something;
A short and compendious book
A compact style is brief and pithy
Succinct comparisons
A summary formulation of a wide-ranging subject

Abstract

To create artistic abstractions of (something else, such as a concrete object or another style)
"The Bauhaus Functionalists were ... busy unornamenting and abstracting modern architecture, painting and design" (John Barth).

Summary

A brief statement or account of the main points of a piece of writing.
The book's summary gave a good idea of its plot.

Abstract

An abridgement or summary of a longer publication.

Abstract

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

Abstract

Concentrated essence of a product.

Abstract

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

Abstract

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

Abstract

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

Abstract

(arts) An abstract work of art.

Abstract

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

Abstract

(obsolete) Derived; extracted.

Abstract

Drawn away; removed from; apart from; separate.

Abstract

Not concrete: conceptual, ideal.
Her new film is an abstract piece, combining elements of magic realism, flashbacks, and animation but with very little in terms of plot construction.

Abstract

Insufficiently factual.

Abstract

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

Abstract

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

Abstract

Difficult to understand; abstruse; hard to conceptualize.
The politician gave a somewhat abstract answer when asked about their plans to cut spending.

Abstract

Separately expressing a property or attribute of an object that is considered to be inherent to that object: attributive, ascriptive.

Abstract

Pertaining comprehensively to, or representing, a class or group of objects, as opposed to any specific object; considered apart from any application to a particular object: general, generic, nonspecific; representational.

Abstract

(archaic) Absent-minded.

Abstract

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

Abstract

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

Abstract

(music) Absolute.

Abstract

(dance) Lacking a story.

Abstract

Being a partial basis for subclasses rather than a complete template for objects.

Abstract

(transitive) To separate; to disengage.

Abstract

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

Abstract

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

Abstract

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

Abstract

To conceptualize an ideal subgroup by means of the generalization of an attribute, as follows: by apprehending an attribute inherent to one individual, then separating that attribute and contemplating it by itself, then conceiving of that attribute as a general quality, then despecifying that conceived quality with respect to several or many individuals, and by then ideating a group composed of those individuals perceived to possess said quality.

Abstract

To extract by means of distillation.

Abstract

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

Abstract

To withdraw oneself; to retire.

Abstract

(transitive) To draw off (interest or attention).
He was wholly abstracted by other objects.

Abstract

To perform the process of abstraction.

Abstract

To create abstractions.

Abstract

To produce an abstraction, usually by refactoring existing code. Generally used with "out".
He abstracted out the square root function.

Abstract

Withdraw; separate.
The more abstract . . . we are from the body.

Abstract

Considered apart from any application to a particular object; separated from matter; existing in the mind only; as, abstract truth, abstract numbers. Hence: ideal; abstruse; difficult.

Abstract

Expressing a particular property of an object viewed apart from the other properties which constitute it; - opposed to concrete; as, honesty is an abstract word.
A concrete name is a name which stands for a thing; an abstract name which stands for an attribute of a thing. A practice has grown up in more modern times, which, if not introduced by Locke, has gained currency from his example, of applying the expression "abstract name" to all names which are the result of abstraction and generalization, and consequently to all general names, instead of confining it to the names of attributes.

Abstract

Abstracted; absent in mind.

Abstract

To withdraw; to separate; to take away.
He was incapable of forming any opinion or resolution abstracted from his own prejudices.

Abstract

To draw off in respect to interest or attention; as, his was wholly abstracted by other objects.
The young stranger had been abstracted and silent.

Abstract

To separate, as ideas, by the operation of the mind; to consider by itself; to contemplate separately, as a quality or attribute.

Abstract

To epitomize; to abridge.

Abstract

To take secretly or dishonestly; to purloin; as, to abstract goods from a parcel, or money from a till.
Von Rosen had quietly abstracted the bearing-reins from the harness.

Abstract

To separate, as the more volatile or soluble parts of a substance, by distillation or other chemical processes. In this sense extract is now more generally used.

Abstract

To perform the process of abstraction.
I own myself able to abstract in one sense.

Abstract

That which comprises or concentrates in itself the essential qualities of a larger thing or of several things. Specifically: A summary or an epitome, as of a treatise or book, or of a statement; a brief.
An abstract of every treatise he had read.
Man, the abstractOf all perfection, which the workmanshipOf Heaven hath modeled.

Abstract

A state of separation from other things; as, to consider a subject in the abstract, or apart from other associated things.

Abstract

An abstract term.
The concretes "father" and "son" have, or might have, the abstracts "paternity" and "filiety."

Abstract

A powdered solid extract of a vegetable substance mixed with sugar of milk in such proportion that one part of the abstract represents two parts of the original substance.

Abstract

A concept or idea not associated with any specific instance;
He loved her only in the abstract--not in person

Abstract

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

Abstract

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

Abstract

Make off with belongings of others

Abstract

Consider apart from a particular case or instance;
Let's abstract away from this particular example

Abstract

Give an abstract (of)

Abstract

Existing only in the mind; separated from embodiment;
Abstract words like `truth' and `justice'

Abstract

Not representing or imitating external reality or the objects of nature;
A large abstract painting

Abstract

Based on specialized theory;
A theoretical analysis

Abstract

Dealing with a subject in the abstract without practical purpose or intention;
Abstract reasoning
Abstract science

Common Curiosities

Is an abstract always shorter than a summary?

Generally, abstracts are shorter, but it depends on the summary's context and the original content's length.

Are abstract and summary synonymous?

No, an abstract relates more to research papers, while a summary can pertain to various content.

Is a movie synopsis the same as a summary?

Essentially, yes. Both provide a condensed version of the story.

Do all research papers require an abstract?

Most academic and research papers need an abstract, especially for database indexing.

What should an effective abstract include?

An effective abstract should cover the research's purpose, methodology, key findings, and implications.

Can an academic paper have both an abstract and a summary?

Yes, an abstract can introduce the paper, and a summary can recap its main points.

Can a summary be as long as the original content?

Typically, no. Summaries are meant to be shorter, distilling the main points.

Can a book's blurb be considered a summary?

A blurb is more promotional, while a summary objectively condenses the main points.

Why are abstracts crucial in research?

Abstracts allow readers to quickly determine a paper's relevance to their interests.

Why are summaries important in education?

Summaries help students understand and retain main ideas without getting lost in details.

What's the primary goal of a summary?

To provide a clear, shortened overview of longer content.

Should an abstract include references?

Typically, no. An abstract should be standalone and concise.

In which section of a research paper is the abstract placed?

The abstract is usually placed at the beginning, before the main text.

Can summaries have opinions?

While summaries should be objective, they can occasionally include interpretative points.

Do abstracts and summaries require a specific writing style?

Abstracts often have guidelines depending on the academic field, while summaries are more flexible but should remain clear and concise.

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Author Spotlight

Written by
Tayyaba Rehman
Tayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.

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