Concrete Nouns

We are surrounded by concrete nouns. Although you might think this is limited to objects and the like, it is not. Concrete nouns are a large category of noun, which together with the abstract noun can cover all forms of nouns. Concrete nouns are frequently described in order to create vivid imagery.

Concrete noun definition

Although concrete nouns often come in the form of objects, this is not strictly the case. Here is an effective, testable definition for concrete noun:

This includes anything from people, to objects, to air, to sound waves, to light. The term “concrete” can trip people up, because it sounds very physical, as though only solids and liquids are concrete nouns. However, concrete nouns encompass anything in the scientifically quantifiable spectrum of things: in other words, all forms of matter and energy.

Nouns that are not concrete are abstract nouns.

These are emotions such as "love" and concepts such as "accountability."

Before we get into further distinguishing the two, it's important to understand all the forms that a concrete noun can take. This will provide a stronger point of reference for delving into the concrete vs. the abstract, which despite these clear definitions can get murky.

Types of concrete nouns

There are various kinds of concrete nouns, which can be clustered in a few subcategories.

Countable nouns

Countable nouns can be counted directly. Examples include: person, car, ball, and lamp.

Countable nouns do not have to be material things, however. They can be other forms of matter or energy and still be concrete.

Uncountable nouns

Uncountable nouns cannot be directly counted. Examples include: luggage, water, money, and coffee. These nouns require other words in order to be counted.

Bottle it before you count it, flaticon.

Some concrete nouns like “air” cannot be counted even with the help of other words.

Collective nouns

Collective nouns indicate groups of nouns. Examples include: team, cluster, family, and stack.

Proper nouns

Finally, proper nouns are people, places, and names.

Don’t get confused

Note, however, that all of these noun types can appear as abstract nouns as well. For instance, the word “idea,” which is not a form of matter or energy, is a counting noun (one, two, three ideas). To give another example, the Pythagorean theorem is a proper noun, as it is the name of something, yet it also is not a form of matter or energy.

The differences between concrete and abstract nouns are not always straightforward, so it is well worth the time to examine them in detail.

Concrete nouns and abstract nouns

While concrete nouns are forms of matter and energy, abstract nouns are the inverse. Abstract nouns are nouns that are not forms of matter and energy.

Abstract nouns are not scientifically quantifiable, such as "fear." There is no scientific way to quantify “fear” into units, the way you can with solids, liquids, gasses, and energy.

Virtually all concepts are abstract nouns. For example, “thought” is an abstract noun. On the other hand, brain waves are concrete nouns because they are themselves a form of matter or energy and can be detected by scientific equipment.

Distinguishing concrete and abstract nouns

Some words can be both concrete and abstract. As such, whether a given noun is concrete or abstract might depend on the context. Take for example “friend.” Here are two examples of the word used in a sentence. Try to identify which example contains the concrete noun “friend” and which one contains the abstract noun “friend.”

The first example contains “friend” as an abstract noun, while the second example contains “friend” as a concrete noun. Here’s why:

In the first example, notice that “friend” describes John. It is a noun describing John, like calling John “a hero.” In this context, a “friend” is the concept of someone who is kind. It is not directly that someone, but rather describes that someone conceptually.

In the second example, the “friend” is a person. It is the friend themselves, not the concept of a friend, who likes animals.

Whether a noun is concrete or abstract can be tricky, and goes beyond distinguishing cases like this. Work through these examples to learn more about how to figure out the differences for yourself.

Example 1

Is the underlined word a concrete noun or an abstract noun?

Metaphors are tricky. In this example, although the “railroad” is obviously not real, it does functionally exist in the sentence as a concrete noun. Think of it this way. A railroad is not a concept on its own; it can only be employed as a concept through metaphor. Abstract nouns can and do exist independently from metaphor. Use this same process to break down a simile

Example 2

Is the underlined word a concrete noun or an abstract noun?

Because a statistic is not a form of matter or energy, it is an abstract noun. Yes, the word "statistic" might be written somewhere, but what's frightening is the statistic as an idea, not the statistic as a sketch of graphite. Besides, this example contains no such context. Read into only what is written, not what you think is implied.

What does the noun really refer to? Flaticon.

Example 3

Is the underlined word a concrete noun or an abstract noun?

Because a “slap” has no physical properties, it is an abstract noun. A slap is an action noun. Action nouns describe actions in the form of nouns. A “shout,” a “leap,” and a “lick” are all action nouns because they refer only to an action, not to any lasting physical presence. Action nouns include gerunds, which are verb-to-nouns ending in -ing such as my “asking,” the “dancing,” and your “sleeping.”