Abstract class is a class that cannot be instantiated and is intended to be subclassed by other classes. Abstract classes are often used to represent general concepts or templates for other classes to follow, similar to how Java uses abstract classes as a foundation for things like Lists and Sets.

How to use it in a sentence

Did you hear about the new engineer who tried to instantiate the abstract class? I guess they didn't get the memo that it's like trying to buy a product from an Amazon listing without a seller - not gonna happen!

I was in a design review yesterday and the senior engineer kept going on about how we need to use an abstract class for this new feature. I wanted to tell them that I'd rather watch a full day of Meta Connect than deal with their over-engineered abstraction, but I bit my tongue.

If you actually want to learn more...

• Abstract Classes in Java: If you want to dive deeper into the thrilling world of abstract classes in Java, check out this official Oracle tutorial. It's about as exciting as watching paint dry, but hey, at least you'll learn something!

• C++ Abstract Class Examples: For those of you who prefer curly braces over semicolons, here's a GeeksforGeeks article on abstract classes in C++. It's like reading a foreign language, but with enough determination, you might just understand it.

• Python ABC Module: Oh, you use Python? Well, aren't you just a trendsetter! Here's the documentation for Python's Abstract Base Classes (ABC) module. It's like the hipster version of abstract classes.

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