absolutely
Americanadverb
-
without exception; completely; wholly; entirely.
You are absolutely right.
- Synonyms:
- unqualifiedly, totally
-
without doubt or reservation; positively; certainly.
I'll absolutely support your candidacy.
- Synonyms:
- definitely, unequivocally, unquestionably
-
(of a transitive verb) without an object.
interjection
adverb
Etymology
Origin of absolutely
Explanation
When something is absolute, it's total and complete. When something is absolutely the case, it's going to be that way — no ifs, ands, or buts. When you want to be certain that there is no doubt about what you mean, then you say that it's absolutely that way. For example, there is absolutely nothing you can do that will make George Clooney invite you to his house on Lake Como. The moon is absolutely not made of green cheese. When I said that I would absolutely not go to that wedding, I wasn't kidding, and I didn't go. Absolutely can also be an interjection, a statement of emotion, as in, "Am I sure I'm up to it? Absolutely!"
Vocabulary lists containing absolutely
Because of Winn-Dixie
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"Charlotte's Web": Chapter One
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List 7
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The most talented collection of players at this World Cup was stuck in the heat of Foxborough, trying to find a way through Morocco, and getting absolutely nowhere.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2026
Mark Rutte, secretary general of NATO, said at the summit in Ankara that the US strikes were "absolutely necessary".
From Barron's • Jul. 8, 2026
"I just couldn't believe. It was like going to Madame Tussauds but the wax was animated and you could interact with the wax and it talked back to you, it was absolutely mad."
From BBC • Jul. 8, 2026
Admire some of them, sure; watch with bated breath and then scream in astonishment when they pull off some amazing feat or another, absolutely.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026
I was a Hello Girl and now I am here, a hermit in a boardinghouse, protected by a disheveled fortress of my dirty clothes and empty tins, and Theo knows absolutely nothing.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
