ABSOLUTE


Meaning of ABSOLUTE in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ ˈab-sə-ˌlüt, ˌab-sə-ˈ ]

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

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.