absolutist
absolutist Lexical Profile
absolutist Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Adhering strictly and inflexibly to unconditional principles, doctrines, or standards without allowing for exceptions or compromise.
"Taking an absolutist stance during complex diplomatic negotiations often prevents both sides from reaching a practical agreement."
Relating to, supporting, or characterized by political absolutism or unrestricted autocratic rule.
"The seventeenth-century monarch established an absolutist regime that centralized all legislative and judicial power in the crown."
• noun
A person who holds that certain moral, philosophical, or legal principles are universally valid and unconditional regardless of context or consequences.
"As a free-speech absolutist, the legal scholar argued that even deeply offensive political expression should remain protected by law."
An advocate or practitioner of political absolutism, in which a monarch or ruler exercises supreme, unrestricted authority.
"In nineteenth-century Europe, royalist absolutists fiercely resisted the growing movement toward constitutional parliamentary government."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the early 19th century from "absolute" plus the agentive suffix "-ist," modeled on French "absolutiste." Ultimately derived from Latin "absolutus" (unrestricted, complete, freed from constraint), the past participle of "absolvere" (to set free or acquit).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.