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Transcendent vs Absolute - What's the difference?

transcendent | absolute |

As nouns the difference between transcendent and absolute

is that transcendent is that which surpasses or is supereminent; something excellent while absolute is (philosophy) that which is totally unconditioned, unrestricted, pure, perfect, or complete; that which can be thought of without relation to others .

As an adjective transcendent

is surpassing usual limits.

transcendent

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • surpassing usual limits
  • beyond the range of usual perception
  • free from constraints of the material world
  • Noun

    (en noun)
  • That which surpasses or is supereminent; something excellent.
  • ----

    absolute

    English

    Alternative forms

    *

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • (obsolete) Absolved; free.
  • (obsolete) Disengaged from accidental circumstances.
  • (archaic) Complete in itself; perfect.
  • * (rfdate) :
  • So absolute she seems, And in herself complete.
  • (grammar) Not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence; as
  • # (of a case form) syntactically connected to the rest of the sentence in an atypical manner; ablative absolute; nominative absolute; genitive absolute; accusative absolute.
  • # standing by itself in a loose syntactical connection, and qualifying the sentence as a whole rather than any single word in it.
  • Anyhow in 'anyhow, I made it home' is an absolute .
  • # (of an adjective or possessive pronoun) lacking a modified substantive.
  • Hungry in 'Feed the hungry.'
  • # (comparative, superlative) expressing a relative term without a definite comparison.'
  • Older in 'An older person should be treated with respect.
  • # having no direct object.
  • Kill in 'If looks could kill...'
  • # (Irish, Welsh) an inflected verb that is not preceded by any number of articles or compounded with a preverb.
  • (obsolete) Absorbed in, as an occupation.
  • Unrestricted; in sole control; possessing absolute power; independent, as in ownership or authority.
  • Pure; unmixed; as, absolute alcohol.
  • (figurative) Complete; utter; outright; unmitigated; entire; total; not qualified or diminished in any way; unrestricted; without limitation.
  • When caught, he told an absolute lie.
  • Unconditional; free from any conditions, limitations, and relations;
  • # having unlimited power, without limits set by a constitution, parliament, or other means.
  • # proceeding from or characteristic of an absolute ruler.
  • * 1962 , Hannah Arendt, On Revolution , (1990), page 155:
  • the more absolute' the ruler, the more ' absolute the revolution will be which replaces him.
  • # Absolutist; arbitrary; despotic.
  • Real; actual.
  • (archaic) Certain; free from doubt or uncertainty, as a person or prediction.
  • * (rfdate) (William Shakespeare), Cymbeline , Act 4, Scene 2:
  • I am absolute ’t was very Cloten.
  • Positive; unquestionable; peremptory.
  • Free from conditional limitations; operating or existing in full under all circumstances without variation.
  • (philosophy) Existing, able to be thought of, or able to be viewed without relation to other things.
  • absolute motion
    absolute time or space
    Absolute rights and duties are such as pertain to man in a state of nature as contradistinguished from ''relative'' rights and duties, or such as pertain to him in his social relations.
  • * (rfdate) :
  • To Cusa we can indeed articulately trace, word and thing, the recent philosophy of the absolute .
  • Authoritative; peremptory.
  • * (rfdate) :
  • The peddler stopped, and tapped her on the head, With absolute forefinger, brown and ringed.
  • (philosophy) Fundamental; ultimate; intrinsic; free from the variability and error natural to the human way of thinking and perception.
  • (physics) Independent of arbitrary units of measurement not comparative or relative as,
  • # having reference to or derived from the simplest manner from the fundamental units of mass, time, and length.
  • # relating to the absolute temperature scale.
  • (legal) Complete; unconditional; final; without encumbrances; not liable to change or cancellation.
  • (education) Pertaining to a grading system based on the knowledge of the individual and not on the comparative knowledge of the group of students.
  • (art) Concerned entirely with expressing beauty and feelings, lacking meaningful reference.
  • (dance) Utilizing the body to express ideas, independent of music and costumes.
  • (math) Indicating an expression that is true for all real number; unconditional.
  • Derived terms

    * ablative absolute * absolute address * absolute curvature * absolute equation * absolute magnitude * absolute majority * absolute monarchy * absolute music * absolute pitch * absolute power * absolute space * absolute term * absolute temperature * absolute value * absolute zero

    Synonyms

    * categorical, unconditional, unlimited, unrestricted * (having unlimited power) autocratic, despotic * (complete in itself) fixed * (able to be viewed without relation to other things) independent

    Antonyms

    * conditional, limited * (able to be viewed without relation to other things) relative, dependent

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • That which is independent of context-dependent interpretation, inviolate, fundamental.
  • moral absolutes
  • Anything that is absolute.
  • (geometry) In a plane, the two imaginary circular points at infinity; in space of three dimensions, the imaginary circle at infinity.
  • (philosophy, usually capitalized) A realm which exists without reference to anything else; that which can be imagined purely by itself; absolute ego.
  • * 1983 , (Lawrence Durrell), Sebastian'', Faber & Faber 2004 (''Avignon Quintet ), page 1039:
  • Withdrawn as a Buddha he sat, watching the alien world from his perch in the absolute .
  • (philosophy, usually capitalized) The unity of spirit and nature; God.
  • (philosophy, usually capitalized) The whole of reality; the totality to which everything is reduced.
  • Concentrated natural flower oil, used for perfumes.
  • Usage notes

    * (not dependent on anything else) Usually preceded by the word the . * (sense) Usually preceded by the word the

    References

    *

    Anagrams

    * ----