absolutely

English

Etymology

absolute +‎ -ly, from Middle English.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /æb.səˈluːt.li/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌæb.səˈlut.li/, /ˈæb.səˌlut.li/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adverb

absolutely (not comparable)

1. In an absolute or unconditional manner; utterly, positively, wholly. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]
2. Independently; viewed without relation to other things or factors. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]
3. (grammar) In a manner that does not take an object.

Usage notes

• Absolutely is not to be confused with intensives such as very or indeed, as it is an unconditional term.

Translations

in an absolute manner

• Armenian: անպայման (hy) (anpayman)
• Catalan: absolutament (ca)
• Central Sierra Miwok: ˀoma·, ˀoma·
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 絕對地 (zh), 绝对地 (zh) (juéduì de), 完全地 (zh) (wánquán de)

• Czech: naprosto (cs)
• Danish: absolut, fuldstændig
• Dutch: absoluut (nl)
• Esperanto: nepre, absolute
• Finnish: ehdottomasti (fi)
• French: absolument (fr)
• Galician: absolutamente
• German: absolut (de), durchaus (de), (with negatives): gar (de)

• Hausa: tabbas, sosai
• Hindi: बिलकुल (hi) (bilkul), बिल्कुल (hi) (bilkul)
• Ido: absolute (io)
• Italian: assolutamente (it)
• Japanese: 絶対に (ja) (ぜったいに, zettai ni)
• Kyrgyz: абсолюттуу (ky) (absolyuttuu)
• Polish: absolutnie (pl)
• Portuguese: absolutamente (pt)
• Romanian: absolut (ro)
• Russian: соверше́нно (ru) (soveršénno), абсолю́тно (ru) (absoljútno)
• Spanish: totalmente (es), absolutamente (es)
• Swedish: absolut (sv)
• Volapük: go (vo)

independently; viewed without relation to other things or factors

• Dutch: absoluut (nl), onafhankelijk (nl)
• Finnish: absoluuttisesti (fi)

• Romanian: absolut (ro)

in a manner that does not take an object

• Dutch: geheel op zichzelf staand

Interjection

absolutely

1. Yes; certainly; expression indicating strong agreement. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]

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 (ačʿkʿis vra)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 當然 (zh), 当然 (zh) (dāngrán)

• Dutch: absoluut (nl), werkelijk (nl), echt (nl), beslist (nl), zeker (nl), ontegenzeglijk (nl)
• Finnish: ehdottomasti, nimenomaan, tottakai
• French: absolument (fr), (Quebec, informal) mets-en (fr)
• German: allerdings (de), aber hallo

• Hebrew: בהחלט‎‎ (be'hekhlet')
• Ido: absolute (io)
• Italian: assolutamente (it)
• Romanian: absolut (ro)
• Russian: коне́чно (ru) (konéčno), то́чно (ru) (tóčno), и́менно (ru) (ímenno), однозна́чно (ru) (odnoznáčno)
• Swedish: absolut (sv), definitivt (sv)
• Turkish: kesinlikle (tr)

See also

• absitively posolutely