adjective / noun
absolute
AB-suh-loot/ˈæbsəluːt/
Independent of limits, conditions, or comparison.
The ruler claims absolute authority over every decision in the kingdom.
Etymology
The pieces suggest being “loosened away” or detached. The sense probably developed from “detached, disengaged” to “perfect, pure,” yielding the ideas of completeness and freedom from limits.
In context
If certainty requires total comprehension, then human certainty is necessarily a limited certainty. Absolute certainty would belong only to that which is absolute.
More examples
- We need absolute silence while the recording is running.
- The philosopher questions whether moral absolutes exist.
- An absolute measurement does not depend on that comparison.
Forms
absolute · absolutes
Similar words
- unconditional
- Emphasizes freedom from conditions rather than all limits.
- complete
- Emphasizes total extent without implying independence from comparison.