adj
absolute
AB-suh-loot
adj
1
Complete and total, with no exceptions or limits.
"The dictator held absolute power over the country."
"There is absolute proof that the theory is correct."
2
Measured independently, without reference to anything else for comparison.
"Absolute zero is the coldest temperature theoretically possible."
noun
1
Something that exists as a fixed, unconditional truth or standard.
"Philosophers have long debated whether moral absolutes exist."
How to Use Absolute
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTotal, complete, with no conditions attached — or, in science, a measurement that stands alone rather than being relative to something else.
Common pairings
absolute power
absolute zero
absolute nonsense
Word Forms
more absolute comparative, absoluter comparative, absolutes plural, Absolutes plural, most absolute superlative, absolutest superlative
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Etymology
From Latin absolutus, "unrestricted" or "complete," the past participle of absolvo, "to set free" — the same root as "absolve."