ab·so·lut·ism
ˈab-sə-ˌlü-ˌti-zəm 
1
2
: advocacy of a rule by absolute standards or principles
3
: an absolute standard or principle
ab·so·lut·ist
ˈab-sə-ˌlü-tist
-ˌlyü-
-ˌlyü-
plural -s
: one that propounds or advocates a doctrine of absolutism
ab·so·lut·ist
ˈab-sə-ˌlü-tist
-ˌlyü-
variants
or absolutistic
: of, relating to, or in the nature of absolutism : arbitrary, despotic
absolutist principles
absolutistically
adverb
ˌab-sə-(ˌ)lü-¦ti-sti-k(ə-)lē,
-(ˌ)lyü-
Examples of absolutism in a Sentence
Noun (1)
concerning absolutism Lord Acton famously observed that “absolute power corrupts absolutely”
Recent Examples on the Web
Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
The result is the extreme polarization and absolutism.
—Andrew Cuomo, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
Iran’s ruling system is often described in political terms, but critics and former insiders say its core is far more radical — a belief structure rooted in religious absolutism, messianic expectation and a worldview that leaves little room for compromise.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
Advice or even just notions—only check email after noon; never do 10 reps of crunches—solidify into absolutism or vanish.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
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Noun
In fact, that kind of absolutism is a good way to become part of another kind of silencing, another kind of injustice.
—Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
The result is the extreme polarization and absolutism.
—Andrew Cuomo, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
Iran’s ruling system is often described in political terms, but critics and former insiders say its core is far more radical — a belief structure rooted in religious absolutism, messianic expectation and a worldview that leaves little room for compromise.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
Advice or even just notions—only check email after noon; never do 10 reps of crunches—solidify into absolutism or vanish.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for absolutism
Cite this Entry
“Absolutism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/absolutism. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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