absolutely
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English
Etymology
From late Middle English absolutly, equivalent to absolute + -ly. First attested in 1425.
Pronunciation
- (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) (file)
Adverb
absolutely (not comparable)
- In an absolute or unconditional manner; utterly, positively, wholly.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:completely
- 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.
Usage notes
- Absolutely is not to be confused with intensives such as very or indeed, as it is an unconditional term, absolutely/*very essential, vital or crucial.
Derived terms
Translations
in an absolute manner
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independently; viewed without relation to other things or factors
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in a manner that does not take an object
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Interjection
absolutely
- Yes, certainly; expression indicating strong agreement.
- Is Bob a good teacher?
Absolutely! - Do you want a free cookie with that coffee?
Absolutely!
Usage notes
- Some commentators, especially in England, criticise the interjectional use as having no meaning beyond that of yes. 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.
Translations
yes; certainly
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See also
References
- ^ “absō̆lūtlī, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
- ^ “absolutely, adv.”, in OED Online
, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
- ^ Christopher Howse, Richard Preston (2007) She Literally Exploded: The Daily Telegraph Infuriating Phrasebook, London: Constable and Robinson, →ISBN, page 3.
