absolutely

From late Middle English absolutly,^[1] equivalent to absolute +‎ -ly. First attested in 1425.^[2]

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈæb.səˌl(j)uːt.li/, /ˌæb.səˈl(j)uːt.li/
• (Standard Southern British) IPA^(key): /ˈap.səˌlʉʊt.lɪi/, /ˌap.səˈlʉʊt.lɪi/, /ab-/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌæb.səˈlut.li/, /ˈæb.səˌlut.li/

• Audio (US):

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absolutely (comparative more absolutely, superlative most absolutely)

1. In an absolute or unconditional manner; utterly, positively, wholly.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:completely

2. Independently; viewed without relation to other things or factors.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:individually

   • 1926, Nicomachus of Gerasa, Frank Egleston Robbins, Louis Charles Karpinski, translated by Martin Luther D'Ooge, Introduction to Arithmetic‎, New York: The Macmillan Company, page 50:

     Another characteristic of numbers, which does not concern their mutual relations so much as themselves absolutely, is their ability, according to the ideas of Nicomachus, to conform to geometrical arrangements.

3. As an intensive: extremely, very, indeed.
   • 1958 May 5, “Seasons' Sign in Sweden”, in LIFE, page 15:

     But when it came to posing for publicity pictures they proved absolutely brilliant doing just what came naturally.

   • 1995, Abbot F. Clark, Sherry Browder, H. Thomas Steely, Karen Wilson, David Cantu-Crouch, Mitchell D. McCartney, “Cell Biology of the Human Lamina Cribrosa”, in Stephen M. Drance, editor, Optic Nerve in Glaucoma, Kugler Publications, page 103:

     The strength of the mouse is absolutely spectacular for various kinds of issues, until you find out that the mouse has absolutely no extracellular matrix to speak of in his optic nerve head.

   • 2018, Adam Cece, The Unbelievably Scary Thing That Happened in Huggabie Falls, Text Publishing, page 212:

     The most absolutely terrifying creature lifted her head.

• The use of absolutely as an intensive to mean very or indeed is often proscribed in formal registers, as it traditionally conveys an unconditional sense, rather than a degree.

absolutely

1. Yes, certainly; expression indicating strong agreement.

   Is Bob a good teacher?
   Absolutely!

   Do you want a free cookie with that coffee?
   Absolutely!

• Some commentators, especially in England, criticise the interjectional use as having no meaning beyond that of yes.^[3] This is not to mean that emphasis is useless, which of course, pragmatically speaking, it isn’t; rather, it means that absolutely is better avoided when there is no emphasis, or, in other words, when the meaning is simply Yes (compare, in French, the use of Tout à fait as an answer, with the meaning of Oui, which is advised against by the Trésor de la langue française informatisé). On the other hand, emphasis can also be expressed in other ways: for instance, Yes, of course, Yes, indeed, Yes, certainly.

• absitively posolutely