Interestingly, the prosecutor and magistrate today both raised, in abstract terms, the possibility of the charges against Oscar Pistorius being reduced from murder to culpable homicide - something which could mean a fine or suspended sentence rather than a long jail term.

BBC: Oscar Pistorius: Variations on a theme of grief

When Wilde wrote that all excess as well as all renunciation brings its punishment, he evidently had in mind the contrast between Basil, who can conceive of his love for Dorian only in abstract terms, and Dorian, who is so intent on embracing the physical that he loses his mind.

NEWYORKER: Deceptive Picture

Nobody will believe that she was reflecting in abstract philosophical terms on the century's history.

ECONOMIST: A stirring in the attic | The

The financial crisis is talked about in large, abstract terms: the bail-out plan, the hundreds of billions of dollars, the peaks and valleys of the Dow Jones industrial average.

NPR: Business Booms For Foreclosure Contractors

Success is no longer measured in terms of abstract metrics like site traffic or number of impressions.

FORBES: East Coast vs. West Coast: A False Distinction