ab-so-lute

Main Entry: ab·so·lute
Pronunciation: \ˈab-sə-ˌlüt, ˌab-sə-ˈ\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English absolut, from Anglo-French, from Latin absolutus, from past participle of absolvere to set free, absolve
Date: 14th century
1 a : free from imperfection : perfect b : free or relatively free from mixture : pure c : outright, unmitigated
2 : being, governed by, or characteristic of a ruler or authority completely free from constitutional or other restraint
3 a : standing apart from a normal or usual syntactical relation with other words or sentence elements b of an adjective or possessive pronoun : standing alone without a modified substantive c of a verb : having no object in the particular construction under consideration though normally transitive
4 : having no restriction, exception, or qualification
5 : positive, unquestionable
6 a : independent of arbitrary standards of measurement b : relating to or derived in the simplest manner from the fundamental units of length, mass, and time c : relating to, measured on, or being a temperature scale based on absolute zero ; specifically : kelvin <10° absolute>
7 : fundamental, ultimate
8 : perfectly embodying the nature of a thing
9 : being self-sufficient and free of external references or relationships
10 : being the true distance from an aircraft to the earth's surface
— absolute noun
— ab·so·lute·ness noun