absolute
/ˈæb.səˌljuːt/ · ab·so·lute
noun
- That which is independent of context‑dependent interpretation, inviolate, fundamental. Philosophers debate whether moral absolutes exist beyond cultural relativism.
- Anything that is absolute. In mathematics, an absolute is a quantity that remains unchanged under transformation.
- In a plane, the two imaginary circular points at infinity; in three‑dimensional space, the imaginary circle at infinity. Projective geometry treats the absolute as the set of points that unify parallel lines.
adjective
- Free of restrictions, limitations, qualifications or conditions; unconditional. The king issued an absolute decree that could not be appealed.
- Free from imperfection, perfect, complete; especially, perfectly embodying a quality in its essential characteristics or to its highest degree. She admired the sculpture for its absolute beauty.
- Pure, free from mixture or adulteration; unmixed. The laboratory uses absolute alcohol for precise chemical reactions.
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Did you know? The phrase “absolute zero” was coined in the 19th century to denote the theoretical temperature at which all molecular motion ceases, reflecting the word’s sense of a limit that cannot be surpassed.