Main Entry: ab·so·lute

Pronunciation: \ˈab-sə-ˌlüt, ˌab-sə-ˈ\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle English absolut, from Anglo-French, from Latin absolutus, from past participle of absolvere to set free, absolve

Date: 14th century

1 a : free from imperfection : perfect <it is a most absolute and excellent horse — Shakespeare> b : free or relatively free from mixture : pure <absolute alcohol> c : outright, unmitigated <an absolute lie>
2 : being, governed by, or characteristic of a ruler or authority completely free from constitutional or other restraint <absolute power>
3 a : standing apart from a normal or usual syntactical relation with other words or sentence elements <the absolute construction this being the case in the sentence “this being the case, let us go”> b of an adjective or possessive pronoun : standing alone without a modified substantive <blind in “help the blind” and ours in “your work and ours” are absolute> c of a verb : having no object in the particular construction under consideration though normally transitive <kill in “if looks could kill” is an absolute verb>
4 : having no restriction, exception, or qualification <an absolute requirement> <absolute freedom>
5 : positive, unquestionable <absolute proof>
6 a : independent of arbitrary standards of measurement b : relating to or derived in the simplest manner from the fundamental units of length, mass, and time <absolute electric units> c : relating to, measured on, or being a temperature scale based on absolute zero <absolute temperature>; specifically : kelvin <10° absolute>
7 : fundamental, ultimate <absolute knowledge>
8 : perfectly embodying the nature of a thing <absolute justice>
9 : being self-sufficient and free of external references or relationships <an absolute term in logic> <absolute music>
10 : being the true distance from an aircraft to the earth's surface <absolute altitude>

— absolute noun

— ab·so·lute·ness noun