# absolute

/ˈæbsəˌɫut/ (US) · /ˈæbsəlˌuːt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/absolute
Updated: 2026-05-01

## Senses

### 1. total or complete

adjective · CEFR B1

total and complete in every way.

For teachers: complete, utter, or unmitigated; used to emphasize the degree of a quality.

- The party was an absolute disaster because the food never arrived.
- The project was an absolute failure, not due to a lack of funding, but because of a fundamental breakdown in communication between departments.

### 2. not limited

adjective · CEFR B2 · Formal

having total power or no limits.

For teachers: free from restrictions, limitations, or conditions; often used in political or legal contexts regarding power.

- In the past, some kings had absolute power over their people.
- The dictator exercised absolute authority over the nation, suppressing any form of dissent through a strictly controlled state media.

### 3. certain or definite

adjective · CEFR B2

completely sure and not in doubt.

For teachers: positive, certain, and unquestionable; not subject to doubt or variation.

- Do you have absolute proof that he took the money?
- The scientist provided absolute evidence that the chemical reaction occurred only under specific atmospheric conditions, silencing his critics.

### 4. independent or not relative

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

measured by itself, not compared to other things.

For teachers: independent of arbitrary units, standards, or relations to other things; not comparative.

- Scientists measure absolute zero as the lowest possible temperature.
- The researcher argued that the data must be viewed in absolute terms rather than relative percentages to understand the true scale of the change.

### 5. a perfect truth

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic · Formal

something that is always true or perfect and does not change.

For teachers: a principle or value that is universally valid and not dependent on circumstances.

- Some people believe that there are no moral absolutes in life.
- The philosopher explored the tension between cultural relativism and the existence of moral absolutes that might govern human behavior across all societies.

### 6. perfume extract

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a very strong, pure oil taken from flowers for making perfume.

For teachers: a highly concentrated, alcohol-soluble liquid extract obtained from a concrete or fat, used as a base for high-quality perfumes.

- The perfume is expensive because it contains pure jasmine absolute.
- The perfumer selected a rare rose absolute, prized for its depth and complexity, to serve as the heart of the new fragrance line.

## Examples

- In this house, honesty is an absolute.
- The philosopher argued that moral absolutes exist, even if different cultures have different laws.
- While many modern thinkers embrace relativism, some still search for a mathematical absolute that can explain the fundamental laws of the universe without exception.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.