absolute en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈap.sə.lʉwt/ (British, Southern, Standard)
- (US) audio
- /ˌæb.səˈlut/ (US)
- /absəˈlɪʊ̯t/ (dialectal)
- /ˈæb.sə.luːt/ (UK)
- /æb.səˈluːt/ (UK)
- /ˈabsə(ˌ)l(j)uːt/ (Canada)
- /ˈæp-/ (UK)
- /ˈab-/ (British, Southern, Standard)
- /ˈæb.sə.ljuːt/ (UK, archaic)
- /absəˈl(j)uːt/ (Canada)
- /ˈæb.səˌlut/ (US)
- (UK) audio
Etymology
First attested around 1380. From Middle English absolut, from Middle French absolut, from Latin absolūtus (“unconditional; unfettered; completed”), perfect passive participle of absolvō (“loosen, set free, complete”), from ab (“away”) + solvo (“to loose”). Influenced in part by Old French absolu. Compare absolve.
Meanings
-
Free of restrictions, limitations, qualifications or conditions; unconditional.
While Americans enjoy an almost absolute freedom to name their children whatever they please, in Germany the State (as public guardian of the good of the child) restricts parents [...]
2005, Names, volume 53, page 238:
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Free of restrictions, limitations, qualifications or conditions; unconditional. ▸ Unrestricted by laws, a constitution, or parliamentary or judicial or other checks; (legally) unlimited in power, especially if despotic.
An absolute monarch is free from all forcible restraint, and so far as he is absolute[,] from all legal restraints of positive laws.
1846, George Gillespie, The Presbyterian's Armoury:
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Free of restrictions, limitations, qualifications or conditions; unconditional. ▸ Unrestricted by laws, a constitution, or parliamentary or judicial or other checks; (legally) unlimited in power, especially if despotic. ▸ Characteristic of an absolutist ruler: domineering, peremptory.
The peddler stopped, and tapped her on the head, / With absolute forefinger, brown and ringed.
1856, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh:[…] the more absolute the ruler, the more absolute the revolution will be which replaces him.
1962, Hannah Arendt, On Revolution, published 1990, page 155:
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Free from imperfection, perfect, complete; especially, perfectly embodying a quality in its essential characteristics or to its highest degree.
So absolute she seems, / And in herself complete.
1667, John Milton, “Book VIII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:Indeed, my lord, it is a most absolute and excellent horse.
1599, William Shakespeare, Henry V:absolute purity, absolute liberty
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Pure, free from mixture or adulteration; unmixed.
absolute alcohol
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Complete, utter, outright; unmitigated, not qualified or diminished in any way.
The growth and acceptance of this idea followed Amartya Sen's theory of exchange entitlements, which suggested that famines occur not from an absolute lack of food but from people's inability to obtain access to that food.
2008, Household Economy Approach, →ISBN, page 3:You're an absolute genius!
When caught, he told an absolute lie.
an absolute denial of all charges
-
(qualifier:very occasionally postpositive) Positive, certain; unquestionable; not in doubt.
Unless the determined lease to which the easements relate has been registered with title absolute and the easements have been entered without qualification in the register for that title, evidence must be lodged to prove [...]
2021, HM Land Registry Practice Guide 26:[...] and in the absence of other signs, or when these latter are inconclusive, it is extremely useful. But it is not, under any circumstances, absolute evidence of the syphilitic nature of a given symptom or set of symptoms.
1913, International Record of Medicine and General Practice Clinics:Yet if the register is not to be absolute evidence of proprietorship, it is clear that some investigation of title would still be necessary.
1862, The Solicitors' Journal and Reporter, volume 6, page 365:
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(archaic) Certain; free from doubt or uncertainty (e.g. a person, opinion or prediction).
I am absolute ’twas very Cloten.
1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:The colour of my hair—he cannot tell, Or answers "dark," at random,—while, be sure, He's absolute on the figure, live or ten, Of my last subscription.
1856, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “(please specify either |book=1 to 9 or the page)”, in Aurora Leigh, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1857, →OCLC:
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(especially) Fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic; not relative; independent of references or relations to other things or standards.
the doctrine that absolute knowledge of things is possible; an absolute principle
Absolute rights and duties are such as pertain to man in a state of nature as contradistinguished from relative rights and duties, or such as pertain to him in his social relations.
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Independent of arbitrary units of measurement, standards, or properties; not comparative or relative.
absolute velocity, absolute motion, absolute position
This new absolute temperature scale (also called the Kelvin scale) employs the SI unit of absolute temperature, the kelvin, […]
2015, Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett, Physics for Scientists and Engineers, →ISBN:His experiments led him to infer that the boiling point of the substance is probably below 9 degrees absolute.
1903, Ice and Refrigeration, volume 24, page 49:
- Independent of arbitrary units of measurement, standards, or properties; not comparative or relative. ▸ Having reference to or derived in the simplest manner from the fundamental units of mass, time, and length.
- Independent of arbitrary units of measurement, standards, or properties; not comparative or relative. ▸ Relating to the absolute temperature scale (based on absolute zero); kelvin.
- (of a case form) Not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence; not in a syntactical relation with other parts of a text, or qualifying the text as a whole rather than any single word in it, like "it being over" in "it being over, she left". ▸ Syntactically connected to the rest of the sentence in an atypical manner, or not relating to or depending on it, like in the nominative absolute or genitive absolute, accusative absolute or ablative absolute.
- (of an adjective or possessive pronoun) Not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence; not in a syntactical relation with other parts of a text, or qualifying the text as a whole rather than any single word in it, like "it being over" in "it being over, she left". ▸ Lacking a modified substantive, like "hungry" in "feed the hungry".
- (of a comparative or superlative) Not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence; not in a syntactical relation with other parts of a text, or qualifying the text as a whole rather than any single word in it, like "it being over" in "it being over, she left". ▸ Expressing a relative term without a definite comparison, like "older" in "an older person should be treated with respect".
-
(of an adjective form) Not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence; not in a syntactical relation with other parts of a text, or qualifying the text as a whole rather than any single word in it, like "it being over" in "it being over, she left". ▸ Positive; not graded (not comparative or superlative).
Even when the absolute form of an adverb ends in -ly, the comparative and superlative are identical with the corresponding forms of the adjective: badly, worse, worst.
1991, English Grammar, 3rd edition:
- (of a usually transitive verb) Not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence; not in a syntactical relation with other parts of a text, or qualifying the text as a whole rather than any single word in it, like "it being over" in "it being over, she left". ▸ Having no direct object, like "kill" in "if looks could kill".
- (of Celtic languages) Not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence; not in a syntactical relation with other parts of a text, or qualifying the text as a whole rather than any single word in it, like "it being over" in "it being over, she left". ▸ Being or pertaining to an inflected verb that is not preceded by any number of particles or compounded with a preverb.
-
As measured using an absolute value.
absolute deviation
mean absolute difference
absolute square
- Indicating an expression that is true for all real numbers, or of all values of the variable; unconditional.
- Pertaining to a grading system based on the knowledge of the individual and not on the comparative knowledge of the group of students.
-
Independent of (references to) other arts; expressing things (beauty, ideas, etc) only in one art.
absolute music
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(formal, postpositional) Indicating that a tenure or estate in land is not conditional or liable to terminate on (strictly) any occurrence or (sometimes contextually) certain kinds of occurrence.
A freehold property is an estate in fee simple absolute in possession.
- (obsolete) Absolved; free.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| absoluter | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| absolutest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| absolut | alternative | lexicographic | |
| most absolute | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| abs. | alternative | lexicographic | |
| more absolute | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
limited (antonym(s) of “free of restrictions, limitations, qualifications or conditions”) · conjunct · relations to other things · conditional (antonym(s) of “free of restrictions, limitations, qualifications or conditions”) · antonym(s) of “independent of references · standards”
Deriveds
absolute pin · absolute personal equation · absolute monarchy · absolute altimeter · absolute fee simple · absolute impediment · absolute frequency · absolute form · term of years absolute · absolute right · absolute alcohol · absolute comparative · absolute pressure · nonabsolute · title absolute · absolute altitude · absolute assembler · absolute humidity · absolute drought · absolute uterine factor infertility · absolute space-time · absolute scale · absolute music · absolute constant · absolutist · absolute immunity · absolute deviation · absolute majority · absolute geometry · absolute zero · absolute mean · absolute loader · absolute monarch · absolute territory · absolute of enfleurage · absolute code · absolutistic · absolute complement · absolute primogeniture · absolute pitch · absolute temperature · absolute error · absolutism · absolute address · absolute magnitude · absolutise · absolute state · subabsolute · absolute ceiling · absolute path · ablative absolute · absolute convergence · absolute term · absolute tense · absolute cinema · absolute endorsement · absolute idealism · absolute equation · absolute value · absolute time · absolute privilege · superabsolute · absolute space · absolute curvature · absolute instruction · absolute instrument · absolute uterine infertility · absolute horizon · unabsolute · absolute weight · absolute advantage · absolute idea · absolute blocking · absolute threshold · absolute superlative · absolute reality · absolute system · fee simple absolute in possession · absolute unit · absolute differential calculus · mean absolute deviation · absolute skewer
Relateds
absolution · absoluteness · absolutize · absolutization
Synonyms
standards · unconditional (free of restrictions, limitations, qualifications or conditions) · relations to other things · independent of references · living · categorical (free of restrictions, limitations, qualifications or conditions) · autocratic (unlimited in power) · despotic (unlimited in power) · unrestricted (free of restrictions, limitations, qualifications or conditions) · unlimited (free of restrictions, limitations, qualifications or conditions)
Translations (192)
ms mutlak (free from limitations or conditions) · arz مش مشروط (free from limitations or conditions) · bg пълен (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · ru абсолю́тный (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · io absoluta (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · nl autoritair (peremptory) · hi परिशुद्ध (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · ja 絶対的な (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · mhr абсолютный (free from limitations or conditions) · pl bezwzględny (mathematics: measured using an absolute value) · yi אַבסאָלוט (free from limitations or conditions) · arz غير مشروط (free from limitations or conditions) · fi täydellinen (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · nl absoluut (grammar: not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence) · fr absolu (peremptory) · id mutlak (free from limitations or conditions) · bg съвършен (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · eo absoluta (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · fr absolu (complete, unmitigated) · hi निरपेक्ष (free from limitations or conditions) · tl wagas (free from limitations or conditions) · az mütləq (free from limitations or conditions) · tr mutlak (free from limitations or conditions) · ja 無条件の (free from limitations or conditions) · fr absolu (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · pt absoluto (grammar: not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence) · ru абсолю́тный (pure; unmixed) · ja 絶対の (free from limitations or conditions) · ca absolut (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · ja 絶対的な (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · es pleno (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · he מוחלט (free from limitations or conditions) · tr mutlak (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · es absoluto (free from limitations or conditions) · cs jistý (positive; clear) · ar مُطْلَق (free from limitations or conditions) · eo absoluta (mathematics: measured using an absolute value) · bg абсолютен (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · pt definitivo (peremptory) · ja 独立した (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · bg абсолютен (mathematics: measured using an absolute value) · uk цілковитий (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · nl volstrekt (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · eo absoluta (grammar: not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence) · hi निरपेक्ष (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · nl absoluut (peremptory) · lad absoluto (free from limitations or conditions) · cmn 絕對的 /绝对的 (free from limitations or conditions) · bg без примес (pure; unmixed) · uk необме́жений (free from limitations or conditions) · cmn 無條件的 /无条件的 (free from limitations or conditions) · nl volkomen (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · ja 絶対的な (free from limitations or conditions) · be абсалю́тны (free from limitations or conditions) · fi rajoittamaton (free from limitations or conditions) · pt peremptório (peremptory) · pl absolutny (free from limitations or conditions) · bg абсолютен (complete, unmitigated) · eo absoluta (free from limitations or conditions) · ru абсолю́тный (free from limitations or conditions) · nb absolutt (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · hy բացարձակ (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · pt absoluto (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · fa کامل (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · sl absoluten (free from limitations or conditions) · mhr абсолютный (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · eo absoluta (peremptory) · fi ehdoton (peremptory) · pt absoluto (pure; unmixed) · fi ehdottoman varma (positive; clear) · id mutlak (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · hi मुतलक़ (free from limitations or conditions) · fi itseisarvona (mathematics: measured using an absolute value) · id murni (pure; unmixed) · id baku (free from limitations or conditions) · el απόλυτος (free from limitations or conditions) · fi absoluuttinen (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · ja 絶対の (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · cy absoliwt (peremptory) · hi पूर्ण (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · bg независим (grammar: not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence) · fi absoluuttinen (peremptory) · fa غیر مشروط (free from limitations or conditions) · pt inquestionável (positive; clear) · hi विशेष्यभूत (grammar: not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence) · pt ilimitado (free from limitations or conditions) · ja 揺るぎない (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · id absolut (free from limitations or conditions) · fr absolu (pure; unmixed) · lv absolūts (free from limitations or conditions) · fi puhdas (pure; unmixed) · nb absolutt (free from limitations or conditions) · fr absolu (free from limitations or conditions) · nb absolutt (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · mi pūrawa (free from limitations or conditions) · lad absoluto (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · id absolut (pure; unmixed) · fr absolu (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · gd ceannasach (free from limitations or conditions) · nb absolutt (positive; clear) · pl bezwarunkowy (free from limitations or conditions) · sl absoluten (pure; unmixed) · ja 絶対の (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · io absoluta (free from limitations or conditions) · nl puur (pure; unmixed) · ru абсолю́тный (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · uk абсолю́тний (free from limitations or conditions) · id absolut (complete, unmitigated) · ca absolut (free from limitations or conditions) · bg абсолютен (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · sl absoluten (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · nl absoluut (pure; unmixed) · fi täysi (complete, unmitigated) · gl absoluto (free from limitations or conditions) · nl absoluut (free from limitations or conditions) · nb absolutt (grammar: not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence) · gv ard-chummaghtagh (free from limitations or conditions) · ca absolut (pure; unmixed) · nl absoluut (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · bg самовластен (peremptory) · ja 純粋な (pure; unmixed) · hi परम (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · fr absolu (grammar: not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence) · az kamil (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · hy կատարյալ (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · gd lethoireach (grammar: not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence) · id sempurna (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · bg без примеси (pure; unmixed) · mi pūrawa (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · eo absoluta (pure; unmixed) · gv ard-phooaral (free from limitations or conditions) · io absoluta (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · id mutlak (positive; clear) · ru соверше́нный (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · nl onversneden (pure; unmixed) · pt irrestrito (free from limitations or conditions) · hy բացարձակ (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · pt absoluto (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · hi निरपेक्ष (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · pt certo (positive; clear) · fi absoluuttinen (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · gd cinnteach (positive; clear) · de absolut (free from limitations or conditions) · fi riippumaton (grammar: not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence) · az xalis (pure; unmixed) · fi ehdoton (free from limitations or conditions) · de rein (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · ca absolut (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · fa مطلق (free from limitations or conditions) · cs čistý (pure; unmixed) · fi riippumaton (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · fi absoluuttinen (pure; unmixed) · es completo (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · sv absolut (free from limitations or conditions) · hy բացարձակ (free from limitations or conditions) · ca absolut (grammar: not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence) · pl absolutny (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · sv absolut (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · hu feltétlen (free from limitations or conditions) · fi absoluuttinen (free from limitations or conditions) · kk абсолюттік (free from limitations or conditions) · sl absoluten (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · gd dearbh (pure; unmixed) · ja 自己完結の (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · eo absoluta (complete, unmitigated) · et täielik (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · hi निरपेक्ष (mathematics: measured using an absolute value) · sl absoluten (peremptory) · gd iomlan (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · bg чист (pure; unmixed) · cs absolutní (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · ckb ڕەبەق (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · az mütləq (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · nb fullstendig (complete, unmitigated) · cy absoliwt (free from limitations or conditions) · tr mükemmel (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · nl absoluut (positive; clear) · nl rein (pure; unmixed) · fi absoluuttinen (grammar: not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence) · ru абсолю́тный (grammar: not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence) · nb absolutt (pure; unmixed) · sv absolut (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · bg безусловен (free from limitations or conditions) · cs absolutní (free from limitations or conditions) · az mütləq (free from imperfection; complete in itself) · pl bezwzględny (free from limitations or conditions) · fi ehdoton (fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic, independent of references or relations to other things) · et vaba (free from limitations or conditions) · nl onvermengd (pure; unmixed) · nl onbetwistbaar (positive; clear) · ru обосо́бленный (grammar: not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence) · eo absoluta (free from imperfection; complete in itself)