ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Abstract concept

An abstract concept is a thing that we can't see, touch, or hold in our hands like a toy, but we think and talk about it a lot. Abstract concepts are like ideas or feelings. For example, when we talk about love or happiness, we can't see them, but we understand what they mean.

Imagine you're playing a game where you're trying to guess what someone is thinking. They might be thinking of a shape, like a square or a triangle, which is easy to guess, because we can see and touch shapes. But sometimes, they might be thinking of a feeling like sadness or excitement, which is harder to guess, because we can't see or touch those things.

People use abstract concepts all the time when they talk or write. They might say, "I feel happy when I see my friends," "I believe that honesty is important," or "I understand that math can be challenging." These are all abstract concepts that we can't see or touch, but we can understand and talk about them using language.

So, abstract concepts are important ideas or feelings that we can't see or touch, but we use them to talk and communicate with each other.