Absolute

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈæb.səˌluːt/, /ˈæb.səˌlʲut/
• US IPA: /ˈæb.səˌlut/

Alternative forms

• abs.

Origin

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 Latin ab ("away") + solvo ("to loose").

American Heritage 1971|page=5

Influenced in part by Old French absolu.

SOED5|page=9

Compare absolve.

Full definition of absolute

Adjective

1. (obsolete) Absolved; free. Attested from around 1350 to 1470 until the mid 17^th century.

1. (obsolete) Disengaged from accidental circumstances. Attested from around 1350 until 1470.
2. (archaic) Complete in itself; perfect. First attested around 1350 to 1470.
• unknown date John Milton:So absolute she seems, And in herself complete.
3. (grammar) Not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence; asFirst attested around 1350 to 1470.
1. (of a case form) syntactically connected to the rest of the sentence in an atypical manner; ablative absolute; nominative absolute; genitive absolute; accusative absolute. First attested around 1350 to 1470.
2. standing by itself in a loose syntactical connection, and qualifying the sentence as a whole rather than any single word in it. First attested around 1350 to 1470.Anyhow in 'anyhow, I made it home' is an absolute.
3. (of an adjective or possessive pronoun) lacking a modified substantive. First attested around 1350 to 1470.Hungry in 'Feed the hungry.'
4. (comparative, superlative) expressing a relative term without a definite comparison.'First attested around 1350 to 1470.Older in 'An older person should be treated with respect.
5. (transitive) having no direct object. First attested around 1350 to 1470.Kill in 'If looks could kill...'
6. (Irish, Welsh) an inflected verb that is not preceded by any number of articles or compounded with a preverb. First attested around 1350 to 1470.
4. (obsolete) Absorbed in, as an occupation. Attested only in the late 15^th century.
5. Unrestricted; in sole control; possessing absolute power; independent, as in ownership or authority. First attested in the late 15^th century.
6. Pure; unmixed; as, absolute alcohol. First attested in the mid 16^th century.
7. (figurative) Complete; utter; outright; unmitigated; entire; total; not qualified or diminished in any way; unrestricted; without limitation. First attested in the late 16^th century.When caught, he told an absolute lie.
8. Unconditional; free from any conditions, limitations, and relations; First attested in the mid 16^th century.
1. having unlimited power, without limits set by a constitution, parliament, or other means. First attested in the mid 16^th century.
2. proceeding from or characteristic of an absolute ruler. First attested in the mid 16^th century.
• 1962, Hannah Arendt, On Revolution, (1990), page 155:... the more absolute the ruler, the more absolute the revolution will be which replaces him.
1. Absolutist; arbitrary; despotic. First attested in the mid 16^th century.
9. Real; actual. First attested in the early 17^th century.
10. (archaic) Certain; free from doubt or uncertainty, as a person or prediction. First attested in the early 17^th century.
• unknown date William Shakespeare, Cymbeline, Act 4, Scene 2:I am absolute ’t was very Cloten.
11. Positive; unquestionable; peremptory. First attested in the early 17^th century.
12. Free from conditional limitations; operating or existing in full under all circumstances without variation. First attested in the early 17^th century.
13. (philosophy) Existing, able to be thought of, or able to be viewed without relation to other things. First attested in the late 18^th century.absolute motionabsolute time or spaceAbsolute 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.
• unknown date William Hamilton:To Cusa we can indeed articulately trace, word and thing, the recent philosophy of the absolute.
14. Authoritative; peremptory.
• unknown date Elizabeth Barrett Browning:The peddler stopped, and tapped her on the head, With absolute forefinger, brown and ringed.
15. (philosophy) Fundamental; ultimate; intrinsic; free from the variability and error natural to the human way of thinking and perception. First attested in the late 18^th century.
16. (physics) Independent of arbitrary units of measurement not comparative or relative as,
1. having reference to or derived from the simplest manner from the fundamental units of mass, time, and length.
2. relating to the absolute temperature scale.
17. (legal) Complete; unconditional; final; without encumbrances; not liable to change or cancellation.
18. (education) Pertaining to a grading system based on the knowledge of the individual and not on the comparative knowledge of the group of students.
19. (art) Concerned entirely with expressing beauty and feelings, lacking meaningful reference.
20. (dance) Utilizing the body to express ideas, independent of music and costumes.
21. (math) Indicating an expression that is true for all real number; unconditional.

Derived terms

Synonyms

• positive
• peremptory
• certain
• unconditional
• unlimited
• unrestricted
• unqualified
• arbitrary
• despotic
• autocratic
• ultimate

Antonyms

• conditional
• limited
• relative

Related terms

• absolution
• absoluteness
• absolutize
• absolutization

Noun

1. That which is independent of context-dependent interpretation, inviolate, fundamental. First attested in the mid 19^th century.moral absolutes
2. Anything that is absolute. First attested in the mid 19^th century.
3. (geometry) In a plane, the two imaginary circular points at infinity; in space of three dimensions, the imaginary circle at infinity.
4. (philosophy, usually capitalized) A realm which exists without reference to anything else; that which can be imagined purely by itself; absolute ego.
• 1983, Lawrence Durrell, Sebastian, Faber & Faber 2004 (Avignon Quintet), page 1039:Withdrawn as a Buddha he sat, watching the alien world from his perch in the absolute.
5. (philosophy, usually capitalized) The unity of spirit and nature; God.
6. (philosophy, usually capitalized) The whole of reality; the totality to which everything is reduced.
7. Concentrated natural flower oil, used for perfumes.

Usage notes

(not dependent on anything else) Usually preceded by the word the.

(all, philosophy) Usually preceded by the word the

Anagrams

• bales out