ABSOLUTELY
absolutely
(adverb) totally and definitely; without question; “we are absolutely opposed to the idea”; “he forced himself to lie absolutely still”; “iron is absolutely necessary”
absolutely, perfectly, utterly, dead
(adverb) completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers; “an absolutely magnificent painting”; “a perfectly idiotic idea”; “you’re perfectly right”; “utterly miserable”; “you can be dead sure of my innocence”; “was dead tired”; “dead right”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adverb
absolutely (not comparable)
In an absolute or unconditional manner; utterly, positively, wholly. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]
Independently; viewed without relation to other things or factors. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]
(grammar) In a manner that does not take an object.
Usage notes
• Absolutely is not to be confused with intensives such as very or indeed, as it is an unconditional term.
Synonyms
• (in an absolute or unconditional manner): See also completely
• (viewed without relation to other things): See also individually
Interjection
absolutely
Yes; certainly; expression indicating strong agreement. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]
Usage notes
• Some commentators, especially in England, criticise the interjectional use as having no useful meaning beyond that of yes; however, this assumes that emphasis is useless, which, pragmatically speaking, it isn’t.
Source: Wiktionary
Ab"so*lute*ly, adv.
Definition: In an absolute, independent, or unconditional manner; wholly;
positively.
ABSOLUTE
Ab"so*lute, a. Etym: [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; absolute power; an
absolute monarch.
2. Complete in itself; perfect; consummate; faultless; as, absolute
perfection; absolute beauty.
So absolute she seems, And in herself complete. Milton.
3. Viewed apart from modifying influences or without comparison with
other objects; actual; real; -- opposed to relative and comparative;
as, absolute motion; absolute time or space.
Note: Absolute rights and duties are such as pertain to man in a
state of nature as contradistinguished from relative rights and
duties, or such as pertain to him in his social relations.
4. Loosed from, or unconnected by, dependence on any other being;
self-existent; self-sufficing.
Note: In this sense God is called the Absolute by the Theist. The
term is also applied by the Pantheist to the universe, or the total
of all existence, as only capable of relations in its parts to each
other and to the whole, and as dependent for its existence and its
phenomena on its mutually depending forces and their laws.
5. Capable of being thought or conceived by itself alone;
unconditioned; non-relative.
Note: It is in dispute among philosopher whether the term, in this
sense, is not applied to a mere logical fiction or abstraction, or
whether the absolute, as thus defined, can be known, as a reality, by
the human intellect.
To Cusa we can indeed articulately trace, word and thing, the recent
philosophy of the absolute. Sir W. Hamilton.
6. Positive; clear; certain; not doubtful. [R.]
I am absolute 't was very Cloten. Shak.
7. Authoritative; peremptory. [R.]
The peddler stopped, and tapped her on the head, With absolute
forefinger, brown and ringed. Mrs. Browning.
8. (Chem.)
Definition: Pure; unmixed; as, absolute alcohol.
9. (Gram.)
Definition: Not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence in
government; as, the case absolute. See Ablative absolute, under
Ablative. Absolute curvature (Geom.), that curvature of a curve of
double curvature, which is measured in the osculating plane of the
curve.
– Absolute equation (Astron.), the sum of the optic and eccentric
equations.
– Absolute space (Physics), space considered without relation to
material limits or objects.
– Absolute terms. (Alg.), such as are known, or which do not
contain the unknown quantity. Davies & Peck.
– Absolute temperature (Physics), the temperature as measured on a
scale determined by certain general thermo-dynamic principles, and
reckoned from the absolute zero.
– Absolute zero (Physics), the be ginning, or zero point, in the
scale of absolute temperature. It is equivalent to -273Âş centigrade
or -459.4Âş Fahrenheit.
Syn.
– Positive; peremptory; certain; unconditional; unlimited;
unrestricted; unqualified; arbitrary; despotic; autocratic.
Ab"so*lute, n. (Geom.)
Definition: In a plane, the two imaginary circular points at infinity; in
space of three dimensions, the imaginary circle at infinity.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition