absolutize
v.v. to treat something as if it is the only rule or the only truth. You use this when someone makes a small idea into a big, fixed law.
v. to treat a specific instance or a relative value as if it were an absolute or universal truth. Often describes the process of making a subjective or conditional statement into a rigid, unchangeable rule.
He tends to absolutize his personal opinions.
The politician's speech absolutized the need for immediate action, ignoring the complex realities of the situation.
By absolutizing the principle of individual freedom, the philosopher's theory failed to account for the necessary social constraints that maintain a functional community.
From absolute + -ize.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Last updated May 18, 2026