What Is Abstract Vocabulary? Why Justice Uses Scales

Secondary English Vocabulary Hub · Vocabulary Articles and Knowledge Hub

Watch the eduKateSG video, then follow the explanation below. The useful question is not simply “What does justice mean?” It is “How does a physical scale help us understand an idea we cannot pick up?”

This is a focused companion to Abstract Vocabulary: How to Write Clearly About Ideas You Cannot See. Here, we take one word all the way from a visual example to meaningful use.

1. What is abstract vocabulary?

Start with the difference between naming an object and naming what a situation means.

“Apple”, “bench” and “brass scale” point to objects in the video. We can describe their shape, colour, position and material. “Justice”, “fairness” and “impartiality” do a different job: they help us discuss how people are treated and how decisions are made.

Concrete detail	Abstract idea	Connection to explain
An apple shared between two people	Fairness	Was the way it was shared reasonable?
A returned wallet	Honesty	What does returning it reveal about the person’s choice?
A student speaking up despite fear	Courage	Why was the action difficult, and why did it matter?
A teacher checking conflicting accounts	Impartiality	Were the accounts considered without favouring a friend?

The object or event gives us something specific to examine. The abstract word names the quality or principle we are examining. A wallet is not honesty, and a photograph of a brave person is not courage itself.

Abstract does not mean imaginary, useless or necessarily difficult. Love and hope are familiar words, yet they name abstract ideas. Conversely, a rare name for a physical object can be difficult vocabulary without being abstract.

There is also a grammar distinction. Justice and honesty are abstract nouns. Abstract vocabulary is a broader teaching category: related adjectives such as fair and impartial can help us discuss the same ideas. See Cambridge’s abstract-noun entry for the narrower grammatical term.

Back to contents · Next: follow the video

2. The video tells one connected story

The film begins with apples because the first comparison should be easy to follow. A balance scale holds an apple on each side. One apple falls, and the balance changes. That gives the next sentence something definite to explain: “See how the balance changes?”

A falling apple might make you think of gravity. That is a reasonable physical question, but it is not the vocabulary connection this lesson follows. We stay with the scale and move from weighing objects to the expression “weighing evidence”.

Scene	What you notice	What the explanation adds
1. Apples and a scale	A change in the load changes the balance.	We begin with a physical comparison.
2. The scales of justice	The same kind of object appears in a different setting.	Weighing becomes a metaphor for considering evidence.
3. The apple in her hand	The apple can be held; justice cannot be held like a fruit.	The object, symbol and abstract idea have different roles.

The change of setting is an imaginative illustration, not an experiment proving what justice is. The missing apple does not stand for a guilty person, and the heavier pan does not identify who deserves to win. Those would be extra meanings the demonstration has not established.

Read the video’s dialogue

“Did you know? Scales can weigh apples. But they can also represent an idea. Watch what happens when one apple falls.”

“See how the balance changes? Now imagine weighing evidence, not apples. That’s why scales symbolise justice: considering both sides fairly.”

“You can hold an apple, but not justice. Scales give this abstract idea a symbol. Vocabulary gives it a name.”

Back to contents · Next: why scales represent justice

3. Why does justice use scales as its symbol?

A balance scale provides a familiar image of comparison. In legal symbolism, that image is used for considering opposing sides impartially. The United States Supreme Court’s explanation of symbols of law describes the scales in these terms.

When we say that someone weighs evidence, we are not saying that photographs, statements or explanations should be placed on a kitchen scale. We mean that the person considers what the information supports and how much reason there is to trust it.

Here is an everyday example. Two students give different accounts of a damaged classroom display. A teacher who listens only to a favourite student has not considered the dispute impartially. A teacher who hears the accounts and checks the available information is taking a different approach.

The educational analogy is about fair consideration, not the physical weight or number of statements. Ten repeated rumours do not automatically become stronger evidence than one reliable record.

This is why the explanation needs both the image and the words. The image supplies a memorable comparison. The language tells us which part of that comparison matters—and where the comparison stops.

Back to contents · Next: abstraction, symbols and metaphors

4. What is abstraction, and how is it different from a symbol?

In this lesson, abstraction means looking beyond the details of one example to consider a more general idea. Cambridge’s verb entry for abstract includes this movement from particular details towards a general judgement.

Imagine three situations: a referee applies the same relevant rule to both teams; a teacher corrects a mistaken accusation; a group leader listens to an unpopular member before deciding. The people, objects and settings differ. Nevertheless, we can discuss a shared concern: fair treatment.

Abstraction lets us consider that concern without restricting it to one match, classroom or group. Symbolism does another job: it gives an idea a representation. Metaphor makes a comparison between kinds of experience. These processes can work together, but they are not interchangeable.

In our lesson, the brass scale is the object. The image of scales represents justice. “Weighing evidence” uses the language of physical weighing metaphorically. Justice is the idea being discussed. The word justice is its linguistic label.

A picture of scales therefore does not contain a complete definition of justice. Nor must every culture or reader choose the same picture for an abstract idea. A symbol becomes useful when we can explain the connection, rather than merely recognise an attractive image.

Back to contents · Next: the limits of the balance analogy

5. Justice is not simply giving everyone the same thing

For a starting definition, justice concerns fairness in how people are treated. Cambridge’s justice entry also records other uses, including the legal system and the title of a judge. Our video uses the fairness sense.

Now test the starting definition. Suppose a classroom needs to distribute reading materials. Giving everyone a readable copy may require a larger-print version for one student. Identical print sizes and fair access are not necessarily the same thing.

Or imagine that two students are accused of breaking a rule, but a check shows that only one was involved. Giving both students the same punishment would produce an identical outcome without resolving the unfair accusation.

These are classroom illustrations, not legal rules. Their purpose is to stop the picture of level scales from becoming an automatic formula for every situation. Relevant circumstances and reasons still need to be explained.

Likewise, an outcome is not fair merely because it benefits us. A useful test is to ask whether we would accept the same reasoning if the people involved changed. That question helps a learner move from “I like this result” to an explanation of the principle being applied.

Back to contents · Next: build a connected word bank

6. Ten useful words to learn around justice

Use these student-friendly working meanings alongside a dictionary and the context of each sentence. The examples below are original practice sentences, not prescribed examination answers. Related words overlap, but they are not always substitutes.

Word	Working meaning for this lesson	Example sentence
Justice	Fair and right treatment	The students called for justice after their classmate was wrongly blamed.
Fairness	Treatment based on reasonable, relevant considerations	The team questioned the fairness of changing the rules halfway through the game.
Impartiality	Not favouring one side because of personal preference	The referee showed impartiality by applying the rule to both teams.
Bias	A leaning that can affect judgement unfairly	Choosing only his friends revealed a bias in the selection process.
Integrity	Commitment to honest and principled conduct	She showed integrity by reporting an error that had increased her score.
Accountability	Being answerable for actions or decisions	The leader accepted accountability for the group’s missed deadline.
Responsibility	A duty to act or take care of something	Checking the equipment was his responsibility.
Compassion	Concern for someone’s suffering and a wish to help	She responded with compassion when her classmate became distressed.
Courage	Facing fear or difficulty for a worthwhile reason	It took courage to challenge the unfair accusation.
Freedom	The ability or right to act without a particular restriction	The project gave students freedom to choose their research topic.

Notice the distinctions. Integrity focuses on the person’s principles; impartiality focuses on not unfairly favouring a side. Compassion concerns another person’s suffering; accountability concerns being answerable. A paragraph can involve several of these ideas, but a writer should explain why each word belongs.

Back to contents · Next: turn the word into a sentence

7. How to use abstract vocabulary in English writing

Try a simple writing sequence: name the idea, show a relevant detail, then explain the connection. The abstract word provides the focus; the detail gives the reader something to examine.

From a label to an explanation

A thin sentence says, “The teacher showed justice.” The intended meaning is understandable, but the reader does not know what happened.

A more precise sentence says, “The teacher acted fairly by checking both students’ accounts before deciding who was responsible.” The action now explains the judgement.

To use justice itself, try: “By correcting the false accusation and apologising publicly, the teacher helped restore a sense of justice.” The surrounding details make the abstract noun meaningful.

A narrative example

“Aaron kept his eyes on the floor while the others blamed him. Mei’s hands trembled, but she stepped forward. She had seen the display fall before Aaron entered the room. Remaining silent would have been easier; speaking up was the fair thing to do.”

This invented scene makes room for courage and justice without repeatedly naming either. In a story, actions can carry the idea. In an explanation of the story, a learner can then identify the idea and point to the details that support it.

A discussion paragraph

“Fairness requires more than treating every situation as identical. Before deciding how to respond to a broken rule, a school should establish what each student actually did. Otherwise, the same punishment may be imposed on people with very different levels of responsibility.”

Each sentence develops the same claim. Adding more impressive nouns would not improve it unless those words made the reasoning more precise. The goal is usable meaning, not a display of vocabulary.

Back to contents · Next: use the idea in reading and speech

8. Using abstract vocabulary in comprehension and oral responses

For reading practice, separate what a passage states from what you infer. “The referee penalised both teams for the same offence” is a detail. “This suggests impartiality” is an interpretation that the detail may support.

A useful response joins the two: “The referee appears impartial because the same relevant rule is applied to both teams.” The explanation matters. Writing only “impartiality” does not show how the reader reached that conclusion.

For speaking practice, answer a question such as “What makes a school rule fair?” with a view, an example and a qualification. For instance: “A fair rule should have a clear reason and be applied consistently. Students should also have a chance to explain what happened, because similar-looking situations may have important differences.”

Then ask a follow-up: “Would your answer change if someone did not know the rule?” The purpose is not to memorise a polished speech. It is to keep the meaning stable while considering a new detail.

These are learning exercises, not official examination questions or marking schemes. Use the exact task and passage in front of you rather than forcing justice or fairness into an unrelated answer.

Back to contents · Next: practise with your vocabulary list

9. How to learn an abstract word rather than memorise its label

At eduKateSG, use this lesson as a small practice sequence: explain the word in ordinary language, give a specific example, test a near non-example, use the word in a sentence, then carry it into a different situation.

For justice, the near non-example might be revenge. A person may feel satisfied after retaliating, but that feeling alone does not establish that the response was fair. Asking what distinguishes the two is more useful than learning “justice = fairness” and stopping there.

Return to the word later without looking at the definition. Ask for a fresh example from sport, school life or a story. This checks whether the learner can use the meaning beyond the original apple-and-scales scene.

The Institute of Education Sciences’ adolescent-literacy practice guide recommends explicit vocabulary instruction and opportunities to discuss meaning. That supports teaching and examining meanings deliberately; it does not establish that this particular video, or one viewing of it, produces an examination-score improvement.

Choose a practice level

Secondary 1: begin with a clear meaning and one familiar situation. Use the Secondary 1 Top 100 Vocabulary List, then explain a chosen word without copying its definition.

Secondary 2: compare related meanings. Use the Secondary 2 Top 100 Vocabulary List and ask why one word fits a sentence better than another.

Secondary 3: connect a word to a claim and supporting details. Use the Secondary 3 Top 100 Vocabulary List to develop a short explanation of a moral choice, a disagreement or a character’s behaviour.

Secondary 4: add a qualification or counterexample. Use the Secondary 4 Top 100 Vocabulary List and explain when a general statement might need to change.

These are suggested practice levels, not fixed limits on a learner or official prescribed word lists. Move to a simpler or more demanding task according to the student’s understanding. The Secondary English Vocabulary Hub provides the wider starting point.

Back to contents · Next: test your understanding

10. Try it yourself: five short vocabulary challenges

Try these before reading the suggested answers. Explain your reasoning aloud or write a few sentences. A correct label without an explanation is only the beginning.

Challenge 1: separate object and idea

Sort these words according to their meaning in this lesson: apple, justice, bench, honesty, brass scale, courage. Which name physical objects, and which name abstract ideas or qualities?

Challenge 2: explain the symbol

Complete this sentence without using the words heavy or kilograms: “Scales can represent justice because…”

Challenge 3: repair an overclaim

A student says, “Justice means that both people must receive exactly the same result.” Write a more careful explanation and add an example.

Challenge 4: choose the more precise word

A teacher removes students’ names before assessing their essays to reduce the influence of personal preference. Which word most directly describes the aim: courage, impartiality or compassion? Explain why.

Challenge 5: transfer the method to courage

Choose a picture or short scene to represent courage. Explain what makes the action courageous, then identify one way your picture could mislead someone. Finally, write a sentence using courage in a different setting.

Back to contents · Next: compare your answers

11. Suggested answers and a transfer check

Challenge 1: apple, bench and brass scale name the physical objects. Justice, honesty and courage name abstract ideas or qualities in these uses.

Challenge 2: “Scales can represent justice because they suggest considering opposing sides carefully and without unfair preference.” Other wording can work if it explains the relationship rather than treating justice as a measurable weight.

Challenge 3: “Justice concerns fair treatment, which requires relevant facts to be considered. If one student was falsely accused, giving that student the same punishment as the person responsible would not make the result fair.” The key is to explain why equal outcomes and fair treatment can differ.

Challenge 4: impartiality is the most direct choice because the action aims to reduce unfair preference in assessment. Removing names does not guarantee that every kind of bias disappears; it addresses one possible influence.

Challenge 5: an example could show a student reporting an unfair accusation despite fearing the reaction of friends. The important features are the difficulty faced and the worthwhile reason for acting. An action-film image could mislead if it suggests that courage always requires physical danger. A different sentence might be, “It took courage to admit that she needed help.”

For parents and tutors, the strongest follow-up is a changed situation: “What would justice look like if there were no scales, apples or courtroom?” Ask for a school example, then a sports example. The learner should preserve the relevant meaning while changing the surface details.

A useful self-check is whether you can define the word, give an example, explain a non-example and use it in a new sentence. Treat this as a learning check, not a validated score or prediction of examination performance.

Back to contents · Next: questions and further reading

12. Questions, sources and next steps

Does abstract vocabulary mean advanced vocabulary?

No. Hope and love are familiar abstract words. A difficult word can instead name a specific physical object. Abstract describes the kind of meaning being discussed, not simply the difficulty of the spelling or definition.

Is justice always an abstract noun?

In this lesson it names the idea of fair treatment, so it is abstract. Context matters: a justice can also mean a judge, as the dictionary entry linked above explains. Always identify the meaning used in the sentence.

Does the falling apple prove anything about justice?

No. It establishes the physical demonstration from which the lesson moves to a metaphor. The explanation—not the falling fruit—connects the scale with considering evidence fairly.

Can a picture completely explain an abstract word?

A picture can illustrate an aspect of an idea, but the learner still needs to explain its relevance and limits. Our scales image is useful for comparison and impartial consideration; it does not settle every question about what is just.

Does vocabulary create the idea?

That is not the claim of this lesson. The point is that a word gives us a shared label with which to discuss, compare and question an idea. Knowing the label is useful; using it accurately still requires understanding.

What do the sources support?

Source	What it supports here	What it does not establish
Cambridge: abstract and abstract noun	The distinction between ideas or qualities and material objects; the grammatical term abstract noun.	A single fixed picture for every word or an age-specific learning schedule.
Cambridge: justice	The fairness sense used in this lesson and the existence of other meanings.	A complete philosophical theory or instructions for deciding a legal case.
US Supreme Court: Symbols of Law	The established association of scales with impartial consideration of opposing sides.	The claim that justice always requires identical outcomes.
IES: Improving Adolescent Literacy	Explicit vocabulary instruction and discussion of meaning as teaching recommendations.	Evidence that this particular AI-generated Short has been tested or guarantees higher marks.

The film, classroom situations, sentences and exercises are teaching illustrations. This is a vocabulary lesson, not legal advice or a description of the procedures of a particular court.

Continue learning with eduKateSG

For the wider learning approach, read How Vocabulary Really Works and What Is Vocabulary?.

For further work on meanings, use the abstract-vocabulary writing guide, Secondary 3 Abstract Vocabulary and How Concrete Words Grow Abstract Meanings.

For structured word practice, return to the Secondary English Vocabulary Hub or browse the Vocabulary Articles and Knowledge Hub.

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