absolutely

English

Etymology

absolute +‎ -ly

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /æb.səˈluːt.li/
• (US) IPA: /æbsəˈlutli/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adverb

absolutely (not comparable)

1. In an absolute, independent, or unconditional manner.
2. With absolution.
3. (degree) Utterly, positively, wholly.

Translations

in an absolute manner

Armenian: անպայման (hy) (anpayman) Catalan: absolutament (ca) Chinese: Mandarin: 絕對地 (cmn), 绝对地 (cmn) (juéduìde), 完全地 (cmn) (wánquánde) Czech: naprosto (cs) Dutch: absoluut (nl) Esperanto: nepre (eo) French: absolument (fr) Hindi: बिलकुल (hi), बिल्कुल (hi)

Italian: assolutamente (it) Japanese: 絶対に (zettai ni) Polish: absolutnie (pl) Portuguese: absolutamente (pt) Russian: совершенно (ru) (sovershénno), абсолютно (ru) (absolyútno) Spanish: totalmente (es), absolutamente (es) Swedish: absolut (sv) Volapük: go (vo)

with absolution

Interjection

absolutely

1. Yes; certainly; expression indicating strong agreement.

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.

Translations

yes; certainly

Armenian: իհարկե (hy) (iharke), աչքիս վրա (hy) (ačk’is vra) Chinese: Mandarin: 當然 (cmn), 当然 (cmn) (dāngrán) Finnish: ehdottomasti nimenomaan French: absolument (fr), (Quebec, informal) mets-en (fr)

Hebrew: בהחלט (be'hekhlet') Italian: assolutamente (it) Russian: конечно (ru) (konéčno), точно (ru) (tóčno), именно (ru) (ímenno) Swedish: absolut (sv), definitivt (sv)

See also

• absitively posolutely