absolute
ab.so.lute \'ab-s*-.lu:t\ \'ab-s*-.lu:t-le-, .ab-s*-'\ \-.lu:t-n*s,
-'lu:t-\ aj [ME absolute, fr. L absolutus, fr. pp. of absolvere] 1a: free
from imperfection : PERFECT 1b: free from mixture : PURE {~ alcohol} 2:
being, governed by, or characteristic of a ruler or authority completel y
free from constitutional or other restraint 3a: standing apart from a
normal or usual syntactical relation with other words or sentence elements
{the ~ construction this being the case in the sentence "this being the
case, let us go"} of an adjective or possessive pronoun 3b: standing alone
without a modified substantive {blind in "help the blind" and ours in
"your work and ours" are ~} of a verb 3c: having no object in the
particular construction under consideration though normally transitive
{kill in "if looks could kill" is an ~ verb} 4: having no restriction,
exception, or qualification {an ~ requir ement ~freedom} 5: INDUBITABLE,
UNQUESTIONABLE {~ proof} 6a: independent of arbitrary standards of
measurement 6b: relating to or derived in the simplest manner from the
fundamental uni ts of length, mass and time {~ electric units} 6c: relating
to the absolute-temperature scale {10^ ~} 7: FUNDAMENTAL, ULTIMATE 8:
perfectly embodying the nature of a thing 9: comprising an artistically
self-sufficient composition having no extern al reference {~ music} 10:
measuring or representing the distance from an aircraft to the ground or
water beneath - absolute n