noun

1. An abstract and general idea; an abstraction.

2. Understanding retained in the mind, from experience, reasoning and imagination; a generalization (generic, basic form), or abstraction (mental impression), of a particular set of instances or occurrences (specific, though different, recorded manifestations of the concept).

3. In generic programming, a description of supported operations on a type, including their syntax and semantics.

Synonyms: abstraction, conception, notion