absolute

American  

[ab-suh-loot, ab-suh-loot] / ˈæb səˌlut, ˌæb səˈlut /

adjective

1. free from imperfection; complete; perfect.

   absolute liberty.

   Antonyms:

   flawed, imperfect

2. not mixed or adulterated; pure.

   absolute alcohol.

   Synonyms:

   sheer, unadulterated

   Antonyms:

   mixed

3. complete; downright.

   an absolute lie;

   an absolute denial;

   They made absolute fools of themselves at the party last night.

4. free from restriction or limitation; not limited in any way: absolute freedom.

   absolute command;

   absolute freedom.

   Synonyms:

   boundless, utter, unqualified, unmitigated, thoroughgoing, out-and-out, ultimate, unlimited, total, infinite

   Antonyms:

   qualified

5. unrestrained or unlimited by a constitution, counterbalancing group, etc., in the exercise of governmental power, especially when arbitrary or despotic.

   an absolute monarch.

   Synonyms:

   tyrannical, domineering, despotic, totalitarian, dictatorial, authoritarian, autocratic

6. viewed independently; not comparative or relative; intrinsic.

   absolute knowledge.

   Antonyms:

   relative

7. positive; certain: absolute evidence.

   absolute in opinion;

   absolute evidence.

   Synonyms:

   unequivocal, undoubted, sure, definite, confirmed, categorical

8. Grammar.

   1. relatively independent syntactically: the construction It being Sunday in It being Sunday, the family went to church is an absolute construction.

   2. (of a usually transitive verb) used without an object, as the verb give in The charity asked him to give.

   3. (of an adjective) having its noun understood, not expressed, as rich in The rich get richer.

   4. characterizing the phonological form of a word or phrase occurring by itself, not influenced by surrounding forms, as not in is not (as opposed toisn't ), or will in they will (as opposed tothey'll ).

9. Physics.

   1. independent of arbitrary standards or of particular properties of substances or systems.

      absolute humidity.

   2. pertaining to a system of units, as the centimeter-gram-second system, based on some primary units, especially units of length, mass, and time.

   3. pertaining to a measurement based on an absolute zero or unit.

      absolute temperature.

10. Education. noting or pertaining to the scale of a grading system based on an individual's performance considered as representing their knowledge of a given subject regardless of the performance of others in a group.

    The math department grades on an absolute scale.

11. Climatology. noting or pertaining to the highest or lowest value of a meteorological quantity recorded during a given, usually long, period of time.

    absolute maximum temperature.

12. Mathematics. (of an inequality) indicating that the expression is true for all values of the variable, as x 2 + 1 > 0 for all real numbers x; unconditional;

13. Computers. machine-specific and requiring no translation (symbolic ): absolute address.

    absolute coding;

    absolute address.

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noun

1. something that is not dependent upon external conditions for existence or for its specific nature, size, etc. (relative ).

2. the absolute,

   1. something that is free from any restriction or condition.

   2. something that is independent of some or all relations.

   3. something that is perfect or complete.

   4. (in Hegelianism) the world process operating in accordance with the absolute idea.

absolute ¹ British  

/ ˈæbsəˌluːt /

adjective

1. complete; perfect

2. free from limitations, restrictions, or exceptions; unqualified

   an absolute choice

3. having unlimited authority; despotic

   an absolute ruler

4. undoubted; certain

   the absolute truth

5. not dependent on, conditioned by, or relative to anything else; independent

   an absolute term in logic

   the absolute value of a quantity in physics

6. pure; unmixed

   absolute alcohol

7. (of a grammatical construction) syntactically independent of the main clause, as for example the construction Joking apart in the sentence Joking apart, we'd better leave now

8. grammar (of a transitive verb) used without a direct object, as the verb intimidate in the sentence His intentions are good, but his rough manner tends to intimidate

9. grammar (of an adjective) used as a noun, as for instance young and aged in the sentence The young care little for the aged

10. physics

    1. (postpositive) (of a pressure measurement) not relative to atmospheric pressure Compare gauge

       the pressure was 5 bar absolute

    2. denoting absolute or thermodynamic temperature

11. maths

    1. (of a constant) never changing in value

    2. Also: numerical.  (of an inequality) unconditional

    3. (of a term) not containing a variable

12. law (of a court order or decree) coming into effect immediately and not liable to be modified; final See decree absolute

13. law (of a title to property, etc) not subject to any encumbrance or condition

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noun

1. something that is absolute

Absolute ² British  

/ ˈæbsəˌluːt /

noun

1. philosophy

   1. the ultimate basis of reality

   2. that which is totally unconditioned, unrestricted, pure, perfect, or complete

2. (in the philosophy of Hegel) that towards which all things evolve dialectically

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Related Words

Absolute, unqualified, utter all mean unmodified. Absolute implies an unquestionable finality: an absolute coward. Unqualified means without reservations or conditions: an unqualified success. Utter expresses totality or entirety: an utter failure.

Other Word Forms

• absoluteness noun
• nonabsolute adjective
• nonabsolutely adverb
• nonabsoluteness noun
• quasi-absolute adjective
• quasi-absolutely adverb
• subabsolute adjective

Etymology

Origin of absolute

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin absolūtus “free, unrestricted, unconditioned” (past participle of absolvere “to absolve ”), equivalent to ab- ab- + solū- “loosen” + -tus past participle suffix

Explanation

Use absolute as a noun or an adjective when you're so sure of something that you know it will never change. For example, a devout person's belief in life after death is an absolute; that person has absolute faith in the afterlife. Absolute can also mean "without any doubt," as in the case of an absolute beauty — such as a glamorous movie star or a supermodel — or "without limits," such as a dictator who has absolute power over the people. Or, absolute can describe a final demand that must be met, such as the absolute conditions a person buying a home might present to its seller — it's the last step and can make or break the sale.

Example Sentences

It’s the absolute goal of every resort operator to satisfy that hankering.

From Slate • Apr. 11, 2026

We would respect the intermediate-term downtrend that applies to the Mag Seven versus the SPX and to most stocks in absolute terms.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

The care operator added that the "safety, dignity, wellbeing and care of our residents is always our absolute priority."

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

“There is something especially appalling about stealing from the dead. During a time when dignity and respect should be absolute, Mr. Muñoz chose greed,” Los Angeles County Dist.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

I'd forgotten Daoud lived on planet Daoud in the galaxy of Daoud in the universe of Daoud, of which he was the absolute center.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

Related Words

• complete
• full
• infinite
• outright
• pure
• sheer
• simple
• unadulterated
• unconditional
• unlimited
• unqualified
• utter