Absolutely

How to spell absolutely

10 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce absolutely

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does absolutely mean?

1. adverbCompletely, totally, or without any qualification.

Absolutely in a sentence

• The contract is absolutely binding once both parties sign.

• She was absolutely certain she had locked the office door.

Where does absolutely come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word descends from the Latin absolutus, the past participle of absolvere, meaning 'to set free' or 'to bring to completion', formed from ab- 'away from' and solvere 'to loosen' or 'to release'. The sense of something being loosened from all limits gave rise to the meaning 'complete' or 'unconditional', as in a thing freed from any qualification. English took 'absolute' through Old French in the late 1300s, and the adverb 'absolutely' followed soon after by attaching the native English ending -ly. The same solvere root that means 'to loosen' also gives us 'solve', 'dissolve', and 'resolve', so the family is large and useful for remembering the central 'solut' chunk. The spelling trap lives in that unstressed middle: writers often expect a doubled letter or insert an extra vowel, but it is simply ab-solute-ly with one of each.

How the word is built

• ab- (off, away from)
• solut- (from solvere: to loosen, free)
• -ute (past participle)
• -ly (adverb suffix)