absolute

absolute
\ \ [14] Absolute, absolution, and absolve all come ultimately from the same source: Latin absolvereset free’, a compound verb made up from the prefix ab- ‘away’ and the verb solvereloose’ (from which English gets solve and several other derivatives, including dissolve and resolve). From the 13th to the 16th century an alternative version of the verb, assoil, was in more common use than absolve; this came from the same Latin original, but via Old French rather than by a direct route. The t of absolute and absolution comes from the past participial stem of the Latin verb – absolūt-. The noun, the adjective, and the verb have taken very different routes from their common semantic starting point, the notion of ‘setting free’: absolve now usually refers to freeing from responsibility and absolution to the remitting of sins, while absolute now means ‘free from any qualification or restriction’.
\ \ Cf.DISSOLVE, RESOLVE, SOLVE

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • absolute — ab·so·lute adj 1 a: free from qualification, condition, exception, or restriction rights that even seem absolute have these qualifications Long v. Rockwood, 277 U.S. 142 (1927) see also absolute ownership at ownership compare …   Law dictionary

  • Absolute — Ab so*lute, a. [L. absolutus, p. p. of absolvere: cf. F. absolu. See {Absolve}.] 1. Loosed from any limitation or condition; uncontrolled; unrestricted; unconditional; as, absolute authority, monarchy, sovereignty, an absolute promise or command; …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Absolute — may mean:Philosophy * Absolute (philosophy), a concept in philosophy * Moral absolutes, the belief that there are absolute standards against which moral questions can be judgedMath and science * Absolute value, in mathematics, the value of a real …   Wikipedia

  • absolute — [ab′sə lo͞ot΄, ab΄sə lo͞ot′] adj. [ME absolut < L absolutus, pp. of absolvere, to loosen from: see ABSOLVE] 1. perfect; complete; whole [absolute silence] 2. not mixed; pure [absolute alcohol] 3. not limited by a constitution, parliament,… …   English World dictionary

  • absolute — (adj.) late 14c., unrestricted; complete, perfect; also not relative to something else (mid 15c.), from M.Fr. absolut (14c., O.Fr. asolu, Mod.Fr. absolu), from L. absolutus, pp. of absolvere to set free, make separate (see ABSOLVE (Cf. absolve)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • absolute — 1 *pure, simple, sheer Analogous words: *perfect, whole, entire: *real, true: *abstract, ideal: *consummate, finished Antonyms: mixed, qualified Contrasted words: incomplete (see affirmative adjective at …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Absolute — est un groupe français de fusion metal originaire de la Seine Saint Denis. Sommaire 1 Biographie 2 Membres 2.1 Membres d aujourd hui 2.2 Anciens membres …   Wikipédia en Français

  • absolute — [adj1] without limit complete, consummate, downright, entire, flat out*, free, full, infinite, no catch*, no fine print*, no holds barred*, no ifs ands or buts*, no joke*, no strings attached*, outright, plenary, pure, sheer, simple, straight out …   New thesaurus

  • Absolute — (Реджо ди Калабрия,Италия) Категория отеля: Адрес: Via Demetrio Tripepi 149, 89125 Реджо д …   Каталог отелей

  • absolute — UK US /ˈæbsəluːt/ adjective ► very great or to the largest degree possible: »The board said they had absolute confidence in the CEO, despite the company s difficulties. ► [before noun] used when expressing a strong opinion: »It s an absolute… …   Financial and business terms

  • absolute — ► ADJECTIVE 1) not qualified or diminished in any way; total. 2) having unlimited power: an absolute ruler. 3) not relative or comparative: absolute moral principles. 4) Grammar (of a construction) syntactically independent of the rest of the… …   English terms dictionary

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