| / English Dictionary |
ABSOLUTE
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Something that is conceived or that exists independently and not in relation to other things; something that does not depend on anything else and is beyond human control; something that is not relative
Example:
no mortal being can influence the absolute
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("absolute" is a kind of...):
abstract; abstraction (a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance)
Derivation:
absolute (perfect or complete or pure)
absolute (expressing finality with no implication of possible change)
II. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Perfect or complete or pure
Example:
absolute alcohol
Classified under:
Similar:
direct (lacking compromising or mitigating elements; exact)
implicit; unquestioning (being without doubt or reserve)
infinite (total and all-embracing)
living ((informal) absolute)
Antonym:
relative (estimated by comparison; not absolute or complete)
Derivation:
absolute (something that is conceived or that exists independently and not in relation to other things; something that does not depend on anything else and is beyond human control; something that is not relative)
absoluteness (the quality of being absolute)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Not capable of being violated or infringed
Example:
infrangible human rights
Synonyms:
absolute; infrangible; inviolable
Classified under:
Similar:
inalienable; unalienable (incapable of being repudiated or transferred to another)
Derivation:
absoluteness (the quality of being absolute)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers
Example:
sheer stupidity
Synonyms:
absolute; downright; out-and-out; rank; right-down; sheer
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
complete (having every necessary or normal part or component or step)
Derivation:
absoluteness (the quality of being absolute)
Sense 4
Meaning:
Not limited by law
Example:
an absolute monarch
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
arbitrary (based on or subject to individual discretion or preference or sometimes impulse or caprice)
Derivation:
absoluteness (the quality of being absolute)
Sense 5
Meaning:
Expressing finality with no implication of possible change
Example:
an absolute guarantee to respect the nation's authority
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
unambiguous; unequivocal; univocal (admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding; having only one meaning or interpretation and leading to only one conclusion)
Derivation:
absolute (something that is conceived or that exists independently and not in relation to other things; something that does not depend on anything else and is beyond human control; something that is not relative)
absoluteness (the quality of being absolute)
Context examples:
I assure you, then, that what I am about to tell you, surprising as it may seem, is the absolute and undeniable truth concerning the mysterious death of Captain Barrington.
(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Subject to, implying, or dependent upon something else; not absolute.
(Conditional, NCI Thesaurus)
The second significance level for the detection p-value in an absolute analysis.
(Alpha2 Significance, NCI Thesaurus)
In absolute terms, the largest deforestation was seen in Pará (3,025 km²), followed by Mato Grosso (1,508 km²) and Rondônia (1,394 km²).
(Amazon lost 7,989 km² of forest in 12 months, Agência Brasil)
"Genital odors of ring-tailed lemurs provide honest information about an individual's absolute and relative MHC (Major Histocompatibility Complex) quality," write the researchers in a paper.
(Lemurs can smell whether a mate's immune genes are a good match, National Science Foundation)
For now, early in the star-formation process, the clumps remain quite cold, just a few tens of degrees above absolute zero.
(Herschel sees budding stars and a giant, strange ring, NASA)
They showed that the width of the nostrils is strongly correlated with temperature and absolute humidity.
(Nose Form Was Shaped by Climate, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)
One thing he knew with absolute certitude: "Ephemera" was infinitely greater than anything he had done.
(Martin Eden, by Jack London)
Most radioactive decay-based methods are considered absolute.
(Absolute dating, NOAA Paleoclimate Glossary)
An absolute neutrophil count may be used to check for infection, inflammation, leukemia, and other conditions.
(Absolute neutrophil count, NCI Dictionary)
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