Rules for writers, Tenth edition - Diana Hacker, Nancy Sommers 2021

Prefer specific, concrete nouns
Find the exact words
Clarity

Unlike general nouns, which refer to broad classes of things, specific nouns point to particular items. Film, for example, names a general class, animated film names a narrower class, and Coco is more specific still. Other examples: team, football team, Denver Broncos; music, symphony, Beethoven’s Ninth.

Unlike abstract nouns, which refer to qualities and ideas (justice, beauty, realism), concrete nouns point to immediate, often sensory experience and to physical objects (steeple, lilac, stone).

Specific, concrete nouns express meaning more vividly than general or abstract ones. Although general and abstract language is sometimes necessary to convey your meaning, use specific, concrete words when possible.

Nouns such as thing, area, aspect, and factor are especially dull and imprecise.