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.)
Defn: Pure; unmixed; as, absolute alcohol.
9. (Gram.)
Defn: 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 -273º centigrade or -459.4º Fahrenheit.
Syn. — Positive; peremptory; certain; unconditional; unlimited; unrestricted; unqualified; arbitrary; despotic; autocratic.
ABSOLUTE
Ab"so*lute, n. (Geom.)