ab·so·lute

(ăb′sə-lo͞ot′, ăb′sə-lo͞ot′)

adj.

a. Unqualified in extent or degree; total: absolute silence.

b. Not limited by restrictions or exceptions: an absolute right.

c. Being fully such; utter: an absolute fool.

d. Unconstrained by constitutional or other provisions: an absolute ruler.

2. Not mixed; pure: absolute oxygen.

3. Not to be doubted or questioned; positive: absolute proof.

4. Grammar

a. Of, relating to, or being a word, phrase, or construction that is isolated syntactically from the rest of a sentence, as the referee having finally arrived in The referee having finally arrived, the game began.

b. Of, relating to, or being a transitive verb when its object is implied but not stated. For example, inspires in We have a teacher who inspires is an absolute verb.

c. Of, relating to, or being an adjective or pronoun that stands alone when the noun it modifies is being implied but not stated. For example, in Theirs were the best, theirs is an absolute pronoun and best is an absolute adjective.

5. Physics

a. Relating to measurements or units of measurement derived from fundamental units of length, mass, and time.

b. Relating to absolute temperature.

6. Law Complete and unconditional; final: an absolute divorce.

1. Something that is absolute.

2. Absolute Philosophy

a. Something regarded as the ultimate and transcendent basis of all thought and being. Used with the.

b. Something regarded as exceeding or transcending everything else to the point of being independent and unrelated.

[Middle English absolut, from Latin absolūtus, unrestricted, past participle of absolvere, to absolve : ab-, away; see ab-¹ + solvere, to loosen; see leu- in Indo-European roots.]

ab′so·lute′ness n.

Usage Note: An absolute term denotes a property that a thing either can or cannot have. Such terms include absolute itself, chief, complete, perfect, prime, unique, and mathematical terms such as equal and parallel. By strict logic, absolute terms cannot be compared, as by more and most, or used with an intensive modifier, such as very or so. Something either is complete or it isn't—it cannot be more complete than something else. Consequently, sentences such as He wanted to make his record collection more complete, and You can improve the sketch by making the lines more perpendicular, are often criticized as illogical. Such criticism confuses pure logic or a mathematical ideal with the rough approximations that are frequently needed in ordinary language. Certainly in some contexts we should use words strictly logically; otherwise teaching mathematics would be impossible. But we often think in terms of a scale or continuum rather than in clearly marked either/or categories. Thus, we may think of a statement as either logically true or false, but we also know that there are degrees of truthfulness and falsehood. Similarly, there may be degrees of completeness to a record collection, and some lines may be more perpendicular—that is, they may more nearly approximate mathematical perpendicularity—than other lines. See Usage Notes at equal, unique.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

absolute

(ˈæbsəˌluːt)

adj

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. (Grammar) (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) 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) 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. (General Physics) physics

a. (postpositive) (of a pressure measurement) not relative to atmospheric pressure: the pressure was 5 bar absolute. Compare gauge¹⁸

b. denoting absolute or thermodynamic temperature

11. (Mathematics) maths

a. (of a constant) never changing in value

b. Also: numerical (of an inequality) unconditional

c. (of a term) not containing a variable

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

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

something that is absolute

[C14: from Latin absolūtus unconditional, freed from, from absolvere. See absolve]

Absolute

(ˈæbsəˌluːt)

n (sometimes not capital)

1. (Philosophy) philosophy

a. the ultimate basis of reality

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

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

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ab•so•lute

(ˈæb səˌlut, ˌæb səˈlut)

adj.

1. being fully or perfectly as indicated; complete; perfect.

2. free from restriction, limitation, or exception: absolute power; absolute freedom.

3. outright; unqualified: an absolute lie; an absolute denial.

4. unrestrained in the exercise of governmental power; not limited by laws or a constitution: an absolute monarchy.

5. viewed independently; not comparative or relative; ultimate: absolute knowledge.

6. positive; certain; definite: absolute in opinion; absolute proof.

7. not mixed or adulterated; pure.

a. relatively independent syntactically in relation to other elements in a sentence, as the construction It being Sunday in It being Sunday, I wasn't at work.

b. (of a usu. transitive verb) used without an object, as give in Please give generously.

c. (of an adjective or possessive pronoun) used alone, with the noun that is modified understood but not expressed, as hungry in to feed the hungry or mine in Take mine.

9. Physics.

a. independent of arbitrary standards or of particular properties of substances or systems: absolute humidity.

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

c. pertaining to a measurement based on an absolute zero or unit, as in the absolute temperature scale.

10. Math. (of an inequality) indicating that the expression is true for all values of the variable, as x² + 1 > 0 for all real numbers x.

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

12. the absolute,

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

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

c. something that is perfect or complete.

[1350–1400; Middle English < Latin absolūtus complete, finished, unqualified, past participle of absolvere to release; see absolve]

ab`so•lute′ness, n.

absolute

Existing without depending in any way on other things; the opposite of relative.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	absolute - something that is conceived or that exists independently and not in relation to other things; something that does not depend on anything else and is beyond human control; something that is not relative; "no mortal being can influence the absolute" abstract, abstraction - a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance; "he loved her only in the abstract--not in person"
Adj.	1.	absolute - perfect or complete or pure; "absolute loyalty"; "absolute silence"; "absolute truth"; "absolute alcohol" relative, comparative - estimated by comparison; not absolute or complete; "a relative stranger"
	2.	absolute - complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers; "absolute freedom"; "an absolute dimwit"; "a downright lie"; "out-and-out mayhem"; "an out-and-out lie"; "a rank outsider"; "many right-down vices"; "got the job through sheer persistence"; "sheer stupidity" out-and-out, right-down, sheer, downright, rank complete - having every necessary or normal part or component or step; "a complete meal"; "a complete wardrobe"; "a complete set of the Britannica"; "a complete set of china"; "a complete defeat"; "a complete accounting"
	3.	absolute - not limited by law; "an absolute monarch" arbitrary - based on or subject to individual discretion or preference or sometimes impulse or caprice; "an arbitrary decision"; "the arbitrary rule of a dictator"; "an arbitrary penalty"; "of arbitrary size and shape"; "an arbitrary choice"; "arbitrary division of the group into halves"
	4.	absolute - expressing finality with no implication of possible change; "an absolute guarantee to respect the nation's authority" unequivocal, univocal, unambiguous - admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding; having only one meaning or interpretation and leading to only one conclusion; "unequivocal evidence"; "took an unequivocal position"; "an unequivocal success"; "an unequivocal promise"; "an unequivocal (or univocal) statement"
	5.	absolute - not capable of being violated or infringed; "infrangible human rights" infrangible, inviolable inalienable, unalienable - incapable of being repudiated or transferred to another; "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights"

absolute

adjective

1. complete, total, perfect, entire, pure, sheer, utter, outright, thorough, downright, consummate, unqualified, full-on (informal), out-and-out, unadulterated, unmitigated, dyed-in-the-wool, thoroughgoing, unalloyed, unmixed, arrant, deep-dyed (usually derogatory) A sick person needs to have absolute trust in a doctor.

2. supreme, sovereign, unlimited, ultimate, full, utmost, unconditional, unqualified, predominant, superlative, unrestricted, pre-eminent, unrestrained, tyrannical, peerless, unsurpassed, unquestionable, matchless, peremptory, unbounded He ruled with absolute power.

3. autocratic, supreme, unlimited, autonomous, arbitrary, dictatorial, all-powerful, imperious, domineering, tyrannical, despotic, absolutist, tyrannous, autarchical the doctrine of absolute monarchy

4. definite, sure, certain, positive, guaranteed, actual, assured, genuine, exact, precise, decisive, conclusive, unequivocal, unambiguous, infallible, categorical, unquestionable, dinkum (Austral & N.Z. informal) He brought the absolute proof that we needed.

5. universal, general, common, total, entire, worldwide, widespread, omnipresent, all-embracing, overarching There are no absolute truths.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

absolute

adjective

1. Supremely excellent in quality or nature:

consummate, faultless, flawless, impeccable, indefectible, perfect, unflawed.

2. Free from extraneous elements:

perfect, plain, pure, sheer, simple, unadulterated, undiluted, unmixed.

3. Without limitations or mitigating conditions:

unconditional, unconditioned, unqualified, unreserved.

4. Having no reservations:

implicit, unconditional, undoubting, unfaltering, unhesitating, unquestioning, unreserved, wholehearted.

5. Completely such, without qualification or exception:

all-out, arrant, complete, consummate, crashing, damned, dead, downright, flat, out-and-out, outright, perfect, plain, pure, sheer, thorough, thoroughgoing, total, unbounded, unequivocal, unlimited, unmitigated, unqualified, unrelieved, unreserved, utter.

Informal: flat-out, positive.

Chiefly British: blooming.

6. Having and exercising complete political power and control:

absolutistic, arbitrary, autarchic, autarchical, autocratic, autocratical, despotic, dictatorial, monocratic, totalitarian, tyrannic, tyrannical, tyrannous.

Translations

تَام، كَامِل

absolut

absolutníčistýjistýnaprostý

absolutfuldstændigtotal

absolut Positiv unbedingt

απόλυτος

absoluto positivo

täielikvaba

absoluuttinenehdotonehdottomanperusastepositiivi

absolu illimité parfait pur véritable

algjör

assoluto intero

absoliutusvisiškaivisiškas

absolūtspilnīgs

absoluut

absolutt fullstendig ubetinget

абсолют абсолютный обособленный положительная степень совершенный

absolútny

popoln

positiv

tam

绝对的

absolute

[ˈæbsəluːt]

A. ADJ

1. (= complete, unqualified) [certainty, confidence, majority, need] → absoluto; [support] → incondicional, total; [refusal] → rotundo; [prohibition, command] → terminante; [proof] → irrefutable; [denial] → rotundo, categórico; [right] → incuestionable
he's an absolute beginner → es un auténtico principiante
it's an absolute fact that → es indiscutible el hecho de que ...
the divorce was made absolute → concedieron el divorcio por sentencia firme
absolute monopoly → monopolio m total
it was the absolute truth, I promise → era la pura verdad, se lo prometo
absolute veto → veto m total

2. (= unlimited) [power, monarch] → absoluto

3. (= not relative) [value] → absoluto
in absolute terms → en términos absolutos
the quest for absolute truth → la búsqueda de la verdad absoluta

4. (as intensifier) [liar, villain] → redomado
the party was an absolute disaster → la fiesta fue un completo desastre
it's an absolute disgrace → es una auténtica vergüenza
it's the absolute end! → ¡es el colmo!
she wore an expression of absolute hatred → la expresión de su cara estaba llena de odio
the man's an absolute idiot → es completamente idiota
it's absolute rubbish! → ¡es puro disparate!

5. (Gram) → absoluto

B. N (Philos)
the absolute → lo absoluto

C. CPD absolute alcohol N → alcohol m puro
absolute liability N (Fin, Jur) → responsabilidad f total
absolute pitch N (Mus) → oído m absoluto
to have absolute pitch → tener oído absoluto
absolute temperature N → temperatura f absoluta
absolute zero N → cero m absoluto

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

absolute

[ˈæbsəluːt]

adj

(= complete, unequivocal) [certainty, necessity] → absolu(e); [refusal, silence, confidence] → absolu(e); [proof, truth, assurance, rules] → absolu(e)
an absolute beginner → un(e) parfait(e) débutant(e)
the absolute minimum → le minimum absolu
the absolute maximum → le maximum absolu
in absolute terms → en valeurs absolues

[power, monarchy] → absolu(e); [authority] → absolu(e)

(= utter) (emphatic) [nonsense, rubbish, mess] → complet/ète
The house is an absolute mess → La maison est dans un bazar complet.
It's an absolute disgrace → C'est vraiment honteux.

n → absolu m

absolute

adj → absolut; power, monopoly, liberty, support also, command → uneingeschränkt; monarch also → unumschränkt; lie, idiot → ausgemacht; the absolute → das Absolute; the divorce was made absolute → die Scheidung wurde ausgesprochen

absolute

absolute majority

n → absolute Mehrheit

absolute pitch

n → absolute Tonhöhe; (of person) → absolutes Gehör

absolute zero

n → absoluter Nullpunkt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

absolute

[ˈæbs/əluːt]

1. adj (gen) → assoluto/a; (support) → totale, completo/a, senza riserve; (proof) → inconfutabile; (denial) → categorico/a; (lie) → bello/a e buono/a
he's an absolute idiot → è un perfetto idiota
it's an absolute scandal → è un autentico scandalo

2. n → assoluto

absolute

(ˈӕbsəluːt) adjective

complete. absolute honesty.

ˌabsoˈlutely adverb

completely. It is absolutely impossible for me to go.

ab·so·lute

a. absoluto-a, incondicional;

___ alcohol (ethyl) → alcohol ___ (alcohol etílico);

___ rest → reposo ___.