ablative absolute

American  

noun

Latin Grammar.

1. a construction not dependent upon any other part of the sentence, consisting of a noun and a participle, noun and adjective, or two nouns, in which both members are in the ablative case, as Latin viā factā, “the road having been made.”

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ablative absolute British  

noun

1. an absolute construction in Latin grammar in which a governor noun and a modifier in the ablative case function as a sentence modifier; for example, hostibus victis, "the enemy having been beaten"

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Etymology

Origin of ablative absolute

First recorded in 1520–30

Example Sentences

But apparently, only a few youngsters mull over the ablative absolute out of sheer joy.

From Time Magazine Archive

Zamenhof states that the "ablative absolute" does not exist in Esperanto, as its use would be against the spirit of the language.

From The International Auxiliary Language Esperanto Grammar and Commentary by Cox, George

The pupils become so eager to see what 16Cæsar will do next that they cannot afford the time to stare long at a mere ablative absolute.

From The Vitalized School by Pearson, Francis B.

The ablative absolute, so strongly characteristic of classical Latin, is never found, or only in one doubtful instance.

From The History of Roman Literature From the earliest period to the death of Marcus Aurelius by Cruttwell, Charles Thomas

An absolute construction, imitating the Latin ablative absolute.

From Minor Poems by Milton by Milton, John